Dora Pejacevic regarded her Symphony as her most important work. Yet at it's premiere, one crucial detail was missing: her full name. In the programmes for the first performances in Vienna and Dresden, only "D. Pejacsevich" was listed. Why did the composer refrain from including her first name? And would the audience have reacted differently if they had known that the Symphony was written by a woman?
Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf: Piano Concerto; Piano Trio
Capriccio
CD
$21.99Nov 07, 2025
Until recently, Bronsart von Schellendorf's career as a composer has been almost completely overlooked. But Liszt was aware of Bronsart's prowess, referring to his orchestral work Fruhlings-Fantasie as "beautiful and invaluable" and later declaring, "I value him as a character and a musician." Even a cursory listen to the Piano Concerto reveals a composer working in ambitious dimensions and an extrovert musical language. Rich in melodic and emotional content, Bronsart's piano writing gives ample opportunity for virtuoso display while delivering Bronsart's musical arguments with power and precision. Bronsart's good friend Hans von Bulow, another pupil of Liszt, had toured the work from 1870 onwards. He took the concerto abroad, giving a concert in Manchester under the baton of Charles Halle in 1877, by which time the work had secured a temporary foothold in the repertory.