DVORAK: String Quartets Op 96, 'American' and Op 106

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Total Tracks: 8   Total Length: 69:17

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Gavin Borchert

eMusic Contributor

Gavin Borchert is a composer and music critic living in Seattle.

04.22.11
Is this Dvorak's catchiest quartet of all?
Label: Naxos

One of the most popular quartets in the repertory is Dvorak's "American" quartet, so named because he wrote it during his three-year stint in the U.S. (teaching in New York City, spending summers in Iowa) and because of the folksong-like catchiness of the tunes. The Op. 106 quartet is his last, equally rich in melody if not so light in tone. A slight hint of gospel hymn style, perhaps a reminiscence of his American stay, finds its way into this quartet's slow movement. The Vlach Quartet of Prague, compatriots of the composer, naturally have a special way with this music.

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String Quartets

By Gavin Borchert, eMusic Contributor

The musical layout of melody, bass line and harmony parts is a standard template in Western tonal music; examples include the Baroque trio sonata, a typical jazz trio or a basic rock band. Yet another combination has played a central role in Western music since the mid-18th century: the string quartet. Two violins, viola and cello were already standard for the string section of an orchestra (with double basses and cellos playing the same line… more »