Wind Serenade in D Minor, Op. 44

When Dvorak wrote his Serenade for 10 winds and 2 lower strings in January 1878, the heyday of the great wind serenades and "Harmoniemusik" wind ensembles was already long gone. He was probably inspired by hearing Mozart s Gran Partita shortly beforehand in Vienna. The home key of d minor here is striking, as is the often serious, even tragic atmosphere that repeatedly darkens the otherwise cheerful mood that is typical of the serenade genre. Perhaps this was a reaction to the death of two of his children just a few months earlier. Despite the work s dramatic character - or perhaps because of it - Dvorak's Serenade was taken up in many European cities soon after its first performance in Prague, and feted as a significant contribution to the chamber music repertoire for wind instruments. The autograph sources in Prague have been consulted for this Urtext edition. The parts are printed with player-friendly page divisions, perfect page-turning opportunities, and practical alternative parts in F for the three horns.