Humoresques

Humoresques, Op. 101 (B. 187) (Czech: "Humoresky") is a piano cycle by the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák, written during the summer of 1894. The Humoresque No. 7 in G♭ major is among the most famous short classical pieces ever written [Score, p. VI] .

History

During his stay in America (Dvořák was from 1892 to 1895 the director of the Conservatory in New York) the composer collected many interesting musical themes in his sketchbooks. He used some of these ideas in several compositions, notably the "From the New World" Symphony, the "American" String Quartet, the Quintet in E Flat Major, and the Sonatina for Violin), but some remained unused.

In 1894, Dvořák spent the summer with his family in Bohemia, at Vysoká u Příbrami. During this "vacation", Dvořák began to use the collected material and to compose a new cycle of short piano pieces. On 19 July 1894 Dvořák sketched the first Humoresque in B major, today number 6 in the cycle. However, the composer soon left off sketching and began to make a fair copy. The score was completed on 27 August 1894.

The cycle was entitled Humoresques shortly before Dvořák sent the score to his German publisher F. Simrock. The composition was published by Simrock in Autumn, 1894.

The publisher took advantage of the great popularity of the seventh Humoresque to produce arrangements for many instruments and ensembles. The piece was later also published as a song with various lyrics. It has also been arranged for choir [Score, p. VII] .

Structure

The cycle consists of eight pieces:

#Vivace
#Poco andante
#Poco andante e molto cantabile
#Poco andante
#Vivace
#Poco allegretto
#Poco lento e grazioso
#Poco andante

The main theme of the first Humoresque was sketched in New York on New Year's Eve 1892, with the inscription "Marche funèbre" (sic [Score, p. VI] ), the minor theme was accompanied with the inscription "people singing in the street". The opening theme of the fourth piece was sketched also in New York, among the ideas intended for the unrealized opera "Hiawatha". The "American" style is apparent also in other themes of Humoresques [Score, p. VI] .

Footnotes

References

*Antonín Dvořák: "Humoresky. Critical Edition." Score. Prague: Bärenreiter Editio Supraphon, 1955. H 1274.

External links

* [http://www.pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=911 Info on the Piano Society web]
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