Antonín Leopold Dvorák (1841 - 1904) was a Czech composer. Dvorák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predecessor BedÅ™ich Smetana. Dvorák's style has been described as "the fullest recreation of a national idiom with that of the symphonic tradition, absorbing folk influences and finding effective ways of using them," and he himself has been described as "arguably the most versatile... composer of his time". He displayed his musical gifts at an early age, being an apt violin student. The first public performances of his works were in Prague in 1872 and, with special success, in 1873, when he was 31 years old. Seeking recognition beyond the Prague area, he submitted scores of symphonies and other works to German and Austrian competitions. He did not win a prize until 1874, with Johannes Brahms on the jury of the Austrian State Competition. In 1877, after his third win, Brahms recommended Dvorák to his publisher, Simrock, who commissioned what became the Slavonic Dances, Op. 46. The sheet music's high sales and critical reception led to his international success. A London performance of Dvorák's Stabat Mater in 1883 led to many other performances in the United Kingdom, the United States, and eventually Russia in March 1890. The Seventh Symphony was written for London in 1885.

The Sonatina in G major for violin and piano (Czech: Sonatina G dur pro housle a klavír), Op. 100, B. 183, was written by Antonín DvoÅ™ák between November 19 and December 3, 1893, in New York City. It was the last chamber composition he wrote during his sojourn in the United States. DvoÅ™ák catered the sonatina to the gradually developing musical abilities of his children, especially those of his 15-year-old daughter Otilie and 10-year-old son Toník, who played piano and violin respectively. In a letter to Fritz Simrock on January 2, 1894, DvoÅ™ák conceived the piece in the following terms: "It is intended for youths (dedicated to my two children), but even grown-ups, adults, should be able to converse with it..." The sonatina was published by Simrock in Berlin in 1894. It also exists in a version for cello and piano.

The four short movements (I. Allegro Risoluto, 3/4, G Major, II. Larghetto, 2/4, G Minor, III. Molto Vivace, 3/4, G Major & IV. Allegro, 2/4, G Major) of the sonatina each exhibit a simple and clear, formal structure (hence the diminutive, cf. sonata). They all contain themes, which, like those already found in his other American chamber works (the String Quartet in F and the String Quintet in Eâ™­), owe their inspiration to Indian melodies and Negro spirituals, which are characterized by pentatonic scales and syncopated rhythm, among other traits. The mood of the composition is fresh and joyful. Only the second movement and part of the last movement are nostalgic; they are inspired by the composer's longing for his home country. A motive for the slow movement Larghetto was hurriedly noted down on DvoÅ™ák's shirt sleeve while on a visit to Minnehaha Falls, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Simrock sold this movement separately, without the composer's permission, and Fritz Kreisler often performed it as Indian Lament. It also appeared as Indian Canzonetta; such romantic titles were not the composer's, but were added subsequently by publishers.

Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Sonatina_(Dvo%C5% 99%C3%A1k)).

Although originally composed for Violin & Piano, I created this Arrangement of The Sonatina in G Major (Op. 100 B. 183) for Flute & Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).