Natalie Blanch's Piano Studio

Thursday, April 16, 2020 by Natalie Blanch | Music Appreciation

Welcome to my first post on a piece of music that you're all invited to listen to, respond to and research further if you wish ♫

This piece is Humoresque by Dvorak. It appears in the Gr 7 Piano for Leisure Syllabus for AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board). This particular Humoresque is a very well known piece, possibly second only to Fur Elise in terms of how well-recognised it is for a piano piece. Enjoy listening to the various arrangements for orchestra, piano and cello (and for hippopotamuses..) and please let me know what you like about this piece, whether you've heard it before, either on the media or in a performance, and depending on your age/musical experience, perhaps something about the form of the piece (it has 5 sections, so listen to see if some of them are very similar! Do you know what the Italian word for a piece with 5 parts is?), key signature, meaning of the title or anything else you would like to add. If you feel inspired to, grab a piece of paper and colouring pencils and swirl, sketch and draw as you listen - please send me a photo if you would like to, and if you are happy for it to be shared on here, I will add it into the post ♥

Enjoy!! ♫

This Humoresque is Number 7 in G flat Major from Antonin Dvorak's Opus 101, which consists of eight humoresques, Arrangements for this Humoresque have been made for many instruments and ensembles. The Humoresques are among Dvorak's last works for keyboard, composed in 1894, during what musicians term as the Romantic Period.

Piano performance. 

Cello performance.

And for a laugh.. I remember this one from my childhood in the late 80's/early 90's! Humoresque melody for the Hippo on Rollerskates