Hungarian Dances Nos. 5, 6 and 7

Originally written for piano four hands in 1879, this set of 21 lively dance tunes, mostly on Hungarian themes, are among Johannes Brahms’ (1833-1897) most popular works today, and they were the most profitable for him in his own lifetime also. In 1850, Brahms was introduced to “gypsy-style” music through Hungarian violinist Ede Reményi, including the csárdás “Bártfai emlék” (Memories of Bártfa) by Hungarian composer Béla Kéler, which became the basis for Hungarian Dance No. 5. Arranged for many different instruments and ensembles over the years, this orchestration by Martin Schmeling (1864-1943) of Hungarian Dances Nos. 5, 6, and 7 include numerous optional parts permitting great flexibility to ensembles of different sizes. Instrumentation: Large Orchestra: 2+Picc.2.2.2: 4.2.3.0: Timp.Perc(2-3): Str(9-8-7-6-5 in set) or Small Orchestra: 2.1.2.1: 2.0.0.0: Timp.Perc(1-3): Str(9-8-7-6-5 in set).