String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 American

Of the works which Antonin Dvorak wrote during his three-year sojourn in America the String Quartet In F Major ('American') is the best known after the New World Symphony.It was written essentially without interruption during the course of June 1893 and reflects happy times spent in the hamlet of Spillville over the summer holidays among Czech compatriots descendants of Czech immigrants where the composer surrounded by nature and friends had the ideal conditions for his composition work. The use of elements of American folk and popular music gives the piece its typical character.This pocket score is part of the firstComplete Critical Edition of Works by Antonin Dvorak.Also available set of parts (H1594)

During his time in America (1892-95) Dvorák suffered with homesickness. It was whilst living in New York that he began his String Quartet In A Flat Major but he did not complete the piece until afterhis return to Bohemia in December 1895.There is no trace of the influence of Indian or African-American music in this his final chamber work; rather the piece is striking for the amount of cantabile themes and motives and their contrasting and artistic treatment. It seems that his relief at seeing his children and family again directly influenced the work. Dvorák himself wrote in a letter during its composition that 'Almighty God hasgranted us this cheerful moment and thus we all feel unutterably happy'.This Henle publication is the first Urtext edition of the Quartet since 1955.

This piece was originally written for Violin and Piano and if the 'New World' Symphony and the 'American' String Quartet are the best-known products of Anton n Dvorak's years in the United States the little Sonatina in G major(sometimes called the 'Indian Lament' Sonatina) may well be the most obscure; yet it is a charming work that deserves better than its relegation to the learning books of young violinists. The Sonatina is in four movements:Allegro risoluto Larghetto Scherzo (molto vivace) and Allegro. The first movement's principal tune has a firm rhythmic spine its second tune a gentle plaintiveness; there is just a hint of Americanfolk music in the movement.The following Larghetto earned the Sonatina its nickname. The succession of its three melodies - one in G minor one in B flat major and one in G major - has to it the same wistfulness and thesame sudden brightening and then softening of mood that we hear in the famous slow movement of the 'New World' Symphony.The Scherzo takes the very first gesture of the Allegro risoluto as its starting-point. The finale isa substantial sonata-allegro movement with three wonderful themes: the opening syncopated idea in G major a subsidiary thought in E minor very dancelike and built around a repeating marcato cell and finally a rich tranquillomelody that closes the exposition. This adaptation for Flute and Piano by James Galway conveys all the spirit of the original.