Although Dvořák’s stay in America (1892–95) was very successful, the composer suffered a good deal from homesickness. He had begun the string quartet in A flat major in New York, but continued with it only after his 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. Dvořák himself wrote in a letter during its composition that “Almighty God has granted us this cheerful moment, and thus we all feel unutterably happy”. This Henle publication is the first Urtext edition of the quartet since 1955.
International Shipping Suspended
With regret we have decided to suspend all international shipping options indefinitely, due to a significant increase in failed deliveries related to customs procedures and lost parcels. We are here to provide a reliable and prompt service to our customers and unfortunately the international solutions available to us are not up to our standards. We will review this decision in the future.
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