String Quartet No. 12 in F major "American", Op. 96, Op. 96

The "American" Quartet (1893) was composed in just three days at the Czech-American colony of Spillville, Iowa, where Dvorak was recovering from the creative exhaustion of finishing the New World Symphony. The work breathes American folk spirit without quoting specific tunes -- pentatonic themes, syncopated rhythms, and the spirit of African-American song pervade the writing -- while remaining unmistakably Czech in its lyrical warmth and formal clarity. The famous opening cello melody in F major is one of the most recognizable themes in all chamber music; the luminous slow movement with its bird-call effects and the scherzo with its lively cross-rhythms cement the quartet's popularity. It remains the most frequently performed quartet by any non-German composer.