“From My Memoirs” - An Autobiographical Sketch by Ernst von Dohnányi for Hungarian Radio, Budapest One, 6 p.m., 30 January, 1944
“From My Memoirs” - An Autobiographical Sketch by Ernst von Dohnányi for Hungarian Radio, Budapest One, 6 p.m., 30 January, 1944.

Summary/Abstract: Ernst von Dohnányi’s (1877–1960) association with Hungarian Radio dates back to the earliest days of the pioneer institution’s operations in 1925, and during the next two decades it grew into a highly productive collaboration. The broadcasting studio became an important forum for Dohnányi’s activities, first as a composer in 1926, then as a conductor, a pianist, and, from 1 February 1931, as its musical director. “The Golden Age of Hungarian Radio” is a phrase that could well be used to describe Dohnányi’s achievements during his thirteen-year directorship, which are all the more remarkable given that the last five years of this period were marred by the increasing tensions, destruction, and hopelessness of war. He utilized widened accessibility offered by the medium of radio to launch educational programmes aimed at children and the lay public, while striving to balance the programming demands of the subscription-paying audience with the material needs of talented musicians in a country where performing opportunities were far from abundant.

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