Dohnanyi, Postludium, Op. 13, No. 10 from Winterreigen

[rachfan]

Dohnanyi, “Postludium”, Op. 13, No. 10 from Winterreigen.

I’ve played numerous preludes, so I decided to play a postlude.  This music of Ernst von Dohnanyi was published in 1905, and the composer himself premiered Winterreigen in 1906.  The term Winterreignen was taken from a poem of Viktor Heindl wherein the poet rues the wintery and sad memories of nostalgic times.  For the “Postludium” Dohnanyi took the letters of the word Ade (adieu or farewell) and wove them into the theme of this late romantic piece.  Two very obvious examples would be in measure 3 where the melody starts in the right hand, and also the slow cadence in the coda. Dohnanyi, a piano student of Istvan Thoman and Eugen D’Albert, was a powerful force in both the music world and the Hungarian school of piano which originated with Liszt.  I hope you’ll enjoy hearing this piece.

Comments welcome.

David

Piano: Baldwin Model L Artist Grand (6’3”) with lid fully open.
Recorder: Korg MR-1000
Mics: Matched pair of Earthworks TC-20 small diaphragm, omni-directional condenser mics in A-B configuration  

[j_menz]

Beautifully played, David.

I'm a Dohnanyi fan, but this piece (and the Winterreigen generally) is new to me (and now soon to be new to my shelves).  Many thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[rachfan]

Hi j,

Thanks for that compliment!  It always pleases me if I play a piece that really interests other pianists.  As I recall, I first noticed the "Postludium" in a collection around 1985, played through it a bit, but was too busy with other repertoire to take it up; however, I never forgot the piece.  My first piano teacher studied with Miklos Schwalb at the New England Conservatory. He in turn had been a piano student of Dohnanyi. So I had always intended to learn one of Dohnanyi's pieces and finally did so after 28 years. But better late than never I say!

Thanks for listening and commenting.

David

[goldentone]

Hi David,

I don't know if I've ever heard Dohnanyi's music before.  The opening reminds me of Schumann's Fantasy.  It's a nice vignette that benefits from your surges and colors.  As you did here, it seems you're really developing the endings of pieces into a substantial icing.

[rachfan]

Hi goldentone,

Interesting you bring up the opening of Schumann's Fantasy.  When I first starting learning this piece, and I would sing it in my mind, invariably the opening would be supplanted by Schumann's Fantasy.  I thought I was probably the only one to notice that similarity. Given the constant triplets combined with an upper range of allegro tempo, the left hand is quite busy.  That was probably the biggest challenge to playing this piece.  Yes, I too think the ending was quite nice if I may say so. Thanks for that kudo!  Dohnanyi wants the rit. and dim. (actually calando should be the instruction) to last over two lines all the way to the coda.  Instead, I played it as I heard it in my mind, and it worked very well. 

Thanks for listening and commenting!

David

[gvans]

Bravo. Beautifully played, and a fine work. The A-D-E theme is brought front and center, and the left hand plays a flowing accompaniment. The way you play it sounds as if two pianists were working together...I like that. A bit of rubato here and there in the right hand. And yes, the finale is very poetic and translucent.

Nice, David.

[rachfan]

Hi gvans,

I'm delighted that you enjoyed this piece and my playing.  I first noticed and took an interest in the piece in the mid-1980s, but I was then working with an artist-teacher and needed to stick to the repertoire I was developing at the time.  But I never forget it, so 28 years later, here it is! However, I was somewhat familiar with Dohnanyi, as I had played his Rhapsody, Op. 11 in C back in the early 1960s.  The biggest challenge I found in this Postludium was making everything happen--and up to my standards--at tempo. The left hand is very busy and the right hand has to anticipate so as to never miss a cue.  The character of the music as it approaches the coda is translucent and poetic as you suggest, and very beautiful. Dohnanyi is probably not as well known by pianists, so I was glad to be able to bring his music to the attention of Piano Street.  I believe this might be the first recording of the Postludium here.

Thanks for listening and for your kind comments.

David