Ernst von Dohnányi

" . . . a rare kind of biography and autobiography: a clear and elegant exposition of fact, as well as a humane portrait of a great piano virtuoso, composer, teacher, and democratic soul, as told to and seen through the eyes of one close to him." —Mark Mitchell

Ernst von Dohnányi (1877–1960) was one of the most highly respected musicians of his time. The young Dohnányi enjoyed an international prestige that brought him into contact with such 19th-century masters as Johannes Brahms and Eugène d'Albert. He is remembered for his technique and interpretive skills as a pianist and conductor, as well as for the masterpieces he composed for piano, chamber ensembles, and orchestra. As a teacher and administrator, Dohnányi was responsible for the training of an entire generation of musicians in Hungary, and for helping to shape the country's musical culture. After World War II, his career foundered when he was falsely accused of being a Nazi sympathizer. In 1953, at the age of 76, Dohnányi returned to international prominence with a triumphant "re-debut" at Carnegie Hall. Ernst von Dohnányi: A Song of Life, written from a firsthand perspective by Dohnányi's widow, is the first full English-language biography of the artist.

Ilona von Dohnányi (1909-1988) was a journalist and historical novelist who also wrote biographies of composers Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Gioacchino Rossini, and Robert and Clara Schumann. Her other books include From Death to Life and Message to Posterity from Ernst von Dohnányi.

James A. Grymes established the Ernst von Dohnányi Collection at Florida State University. The author of Ernst von Dohnányi: A Bio-Bibliography, his research has appeared in such journals as Music Library Association Notes and Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae.