Sinfonietta arranged for Piano Duet

Janaek Sinfonietta arranged for Piano Duet

The Sinfonietta is Janáček’s last and most famous composition for symphony orchestra.  The initial impetus for the work came from a request by the daily newspaper Lidové noviny in early 1926, which asked Janáček to pen a short salutation for the upcoming 8th All-Sokol Rally. The composer created a set of fanfares for the occasion, which he then expanded into a five-movement composition originally named Military Sinfonietta. He later shortened the title to Sinfonietta. The work was premiered at the Rudolfinum in Prague on 26 June 1926, performed by a military band and the Czech Philharmonic under the baton of Václav Talich. It was an immense triumph.

In 1985 the conductor and composer František Jílek (1913–1993) arranged the complex score into a piano reduction for four hands with the refinement and professionalism of an acknowledged expert on Janáček’s oeuvre.  The piano reduction was prepared from Janáček’s autograph and also reflects the tempo and dynamic designations therein. It contains rehearsal numbers that match those in the printed orchestral parts of various editions.

- Four-hand piano arrangement of Janáček’s most famous orchestral work

- Attentive piano duet arrangement by František Jílek based on the autograph score