# Dvorak Humoresque no. 7



## JohannesBrahms (Apr 22, 2013)

I listen to this piece every now and then. Strange to say, it is one of the few pieces that can actually make me cry. But ever since I first heard it, I have been wondering, is it just me, or does it sound very similar to Stephen Foster's Old Folks at Home? I'm wondering if Dvorak possibly heard the song, since he was in the United States for a while. Does anyone know anything about this?


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

wait, what? It's a cool piece, but interesting that you react to it with tears.


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## JohannesBrahms (Apr 22, 2013)

Ravndal said:


> wait, what? It's a cool piece, but interesting that you react to it with tears.


I don't actually cry because I hold it back. If I didn't, then I would cry. Its not sadness, but more of a joyful type of crying, if you understand me.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

JohannesBrahms said:


> I don't actually cry because I hold it back. If I didn't, then I would cry. Its not sadness, but more of a joyful type of crying, if you understand me.


Cry if you want to buddy!
Is that the one that Richard Tauber sung as "Eine kleine fruehlingsweise2 ?


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

This piece is mentioned in Amy Chua's 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother':
'After the catchy opening theme... there's an almost overly sentimental second theme that's supposed to be played with tragi-comic exaggerated pathos.'
Amy's daughter's teacher explained it to her by asking her to imagine that she'd worked hard all week at home on the promise of an ice-cream that never materialised: 'To this day, when I hear Humoresque, I hear the lyrics that Mr Shogart added - 'I wa-a-nt my ice-cream, oh give me my ice cream, where is the ice-cream you promised me-e-e.'

So it would seem that you're not 'meant to cry'. And yet, I do see that if those same notes were set in a different piece, they could sound tragic-melancholy rather than tragi-comic. 
As Mr Spock would say, 'Fascinating!'


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

It is like Chopin's scherzos, it shouldn't be sad and emotional but it is.


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