Ernő Dohnányi

Ernst von Dohnányi was a Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor. He used the German form of his name on most published compositions. Biography Dohnányi was born in Pozsony, Kingdom of Hungary (today part of Bratislava, Slovakia). Born into the old noble Dohnányi family, he was the son of Friedrich Dohnányi (1843–1909) and his wife, Ottilia Szlabey. He first studied music with his father, a professor of mathematics and amateur cellist, and when he was eight years old, with Carl Forstner, organist at the local cathedral. In 1894 he moved to Budapest and enrolled in the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music, studying piano with István Thomán and composition with Hans von Koessler, a cousin of Max Reger. Thomán had been a favorite student of Franz Liszt, while von Koessler was a devotee of Johannes Brahms's music. These two influences played an important part in Dohnányi's life: Liszt for his piano playing and Brahms for his music. Dohnányi's first published work, his Piano Quintet in C minor, earned the approval of Brahms, who promoted it in Vienna. Dohnányi did not study long at the Academy of Music: in June 1897 he sought to take the final exams without completing his studies. Permission was granted, and a few days later he passed with high marks, as composer and pianist, graduating at less than 20 years of age. After a few lessons with Eugen d'Albert, another student of Liszt, Dohnányi made his debut in Berlin in 1897 and was recognized at once as a performer of high merit. Similar success followed in Vienna and on a subsequent tour of Europe. He made his London debut at a Richter concert in Queen's Hall, with a notable performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. He was among the first to conduct and popularize Bartók's more accessible music. During the 1898 season, Dohnányi visited the United States, where he gained a reputation playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 for his American debut with the St. Louis Symphony.