David Grimal, Gérard Caussé, Marc Coppey, Michel Béroff - Ernő Dohnányi: Sérénade & Sonates (2004)

Despite being nearly unknown compared with his conducting grandson Christoph von Dohnányi, there are still occasional recordings of music by Ernö Dohnányi -- his muscular and lyrical Symphony No. 2, his dramatic and colorful Piano Concerto in E minor, his fervent and magnificent Piano Quintet in C minor -- and this disc adds three more pieces to the list. Performed with power and passion by four strong and sensitive French musicians, Dohnányi's sweet and soulful Cello Sonata in B flat, his tender and terrifying Violin Sonata in C sharp minor, and his quirky and compelling Serenade in C major for string trio will be welcome additions to any collection of the romantic music from the antebellum years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Anyone who loves late Brahms and Dvorák and is more than slightly suspicious of the early music of Schoenberg and Bartók will enjoy Dohnányi's well-composed, wonderfully expressive, and slightly ethnic music, and this disc helps make the case for his stature as a composer. Aeon's 2003 sound is close and warm and real.