Humoresque

Humoreske composed by Anton Dvorak (1841-1904)
Arranged and edited by Ervin Monroe for one or two Flutes and Piano
Includes score and parts

“Dvorak was a Czech composer who was born in Nelahozeves, a small village near Prague.  At age 16 he began his music studies and when the Czeck National Theatre was founded in 1862 Dvorak took a post in the orchestra as violinist.  It was during this time he began composing and in 1873  his cantata, Hymnus, received its first public performance, winning him great acclaim.  He applied for a government grant to continue his composition efforts, and one of the judges, Johannes Brahms, was so impressed with Dvorak's music that he helped the composer in winning a three year stipend.  This occasion also began a lifelong friendship with Brahms, who used his influence to help get Dvorak's works published. Dvorak was very self-critical and at one point, he even burned the scores of most of his musical works in order to start anew. 

Humoreske is one of the most popular of all the Dvorak melodies.  It is most frequently performed as a violin solo, but it has been published as a solo for numerous instruments.  I have arranged it here to be performed by a solo flute and piano, using the first flute part, or two flutes and piano, as the occasion permits.  I hope you enjoy playing this ever popular, capricious melody which lingers in the listener's mind long after the concert ends.”- Ervin Monroe (Preface)