Dvorak's 12th String Quartet is his most performed chamber work, and one of the most popular string quartets ever written by any composer. Nicknamed the "American" Quartet, the piece was composed during Dvorak's residency in America from 1892-1895.
The popularity of the "American" Quartet is partially due to the abundance of enjoyable melodies peppered throughout the work as well as the images of the American countryside depicted in each movement.
From the rustic pentatonic melody in the first movement, to the African-American spiritual feel of second, to the birdsong portrayed in the third, to the train journey through the countryside in the fourth, the quartet is a joyous musical postcard from America and instantly likable.
