Dohnanyi and Raff

[André Ribeiro]

Hello everybody!

I have just heard Dohnanyi's variations on a Nursery Song, Op. 25. What a marvelous and very amusing work, I think. Dohnanyi very cleverly imitates the styles of Brahms, Saint-Saëns and many others. I wonder whether the seventh variation is an imitation of Raff. It sounds very much like him, I think.
It would be nice to know whether I'm right or not.


By the way, can any of you also hear a giant butterfly (!) in the opening of Brahms's second string quintet? (sounds silly doesn't it, but there it is)
Such a lovely work, and what a remarkable composer Brahms was. So clever (and so secret)


Thank you

[FBerwald]

Yes ! The gaint butterfly flutters his wings in the violins' openings!!!!! The slow movement personifies sorrow without being too pessimistic!! Thats what I love about the work!!!!

[Pengelli]

To be honest,I really do think we could do with the Dohnanyi 'variations' at the Proms a little more often. Having said that,I have to say that I personally find the Proms dull,dreary and uninspired,like the BBC themselves. Which is one reason I don't have tv at home.

[Mark Thomas]

I do agree that the seventh variation of the delicious Dohnanayi sounds like it could be by Raff, but is suspect that's unconscious. Raff's influence had waned long before it was written in 1914; his music was no longer being played much by then, so there's be little point in Dohnanyi even poking fun at a composer who was totally forgotten.