Antonin Dvorak composed the quartet in F Major; op. 96 “The American” in the summer of 1893 during his summer vacation in Spillvale; Iowa. From 1892-1895; Dvorak served as director of the National Conservatory of Music in NYC. He had been interested in “American Music” and felt that Native American and Afro-American music could inspire an “American Music” distinct from European influences. He was inspired by (Henry Thacker) Harry Burleigh; his student in New York and one of the first Afro-American composers.

While it is impossible to know why Georges Barrere chose Dvorak's F Major Quartet to transcribe for Woodwind Quintet; we may easily hazard several guesses. Firstly; it was a work much beloved by the public and very respected by professional musicians. As an immigrant himself; Barrere could easily sympathize with Dvorak's desire to create a distinctly American work. A work in the key of F Major; it lent itself easily to wind transcription. While known as the Barrere transcription; it turns out that Samuel Baron; one of Barrere's most famous students and a long time member of the New York Woodwind Quintet; who has to his credit a long list of wonderful transcriptions for woodwind quintet; played a significant role in the transcription.

          PRODUCT INFORMATION

String Quartet No. 14 in G Major; KV. 387 Spring : The New York Woodwind Quintet Library Series (Score & Parts) : Mozart/trans. William Purvis : Score and Parts : # SU782