After a twelve-year interval Dvo ák once again turned his attention to the String Quartet in summer 1893. He had been musical director in New York since autumn 1892 and spent the summer in Spillville (Iowa) where agroup of Czech immigrants had settled thus making him feel at home. The beautiful natural surroundings led him to write this unconventional String Quartet in the tradition of Beethoven?s ?Pastoral? even down to the imitation ofbirdcalls. Since the first performances certain rhythmic and melodic characteristics have been traced back to the influences of the folk music of Native Americans and African Americans which led to the soon popular workbeing called the ?American Quartet?. For the first time since 1955 the Quartet is once again being published in an Urtext edition.

8 Irish Melodies arranged for String Quartet-Carson Turner’s latest instalment to The Schott String Quartet Series is a wonderful collection of traditional Irish folk tunes. These intermediate-level arrangements make perfect performance material.The Schott String Quartet SeriesWith the first books in the series focusing on baroque classical and romantic styles The Schott String Quartet Series has expanded to cover music ranging from traditional pieces through to Eastern-influenced works. Aside from 'Indian Summer' which features original compositions each book contains original arrangements of well known themes which have often never been arranged for string quartet before. An important characteristic of thesearrangements is that they allow all four instruments to demand the attention throughout the music. The pieces are suitable for amateur musicians or school students and are ideal for public performance.

9 Classical Pieces-Thoughtful arrangements of well-known classical pieces by Mozart Haydn Beethoven Schubert and Paradies. This collection providesa perfect introduction to classical music and to string quartetplaying.The Schott String Quartet SeriesWith the first books in the series focusing on baroque classical and romantic styles The Schott String Quartet Series has expanded to cover music ranging from traditional pieces through to Eastern-influenced works. Aside from 'Indian Summer' which features original compositions each book contains original arrangements of well known themes which have often never been arranged for string quartet before. An important characteristic of thesearrangements is that they allow all four instruments to demand the attention throughout the music. The pieces are suitable for amateur musicians or school students and are ideal for public performance.

8 Twentieth-Century Pieces-Having touched on the romantic era in 'To a Wild Rose' and the classical era in 'An die Musik' Kember moves forward to the twentieth-century with this thoughtfully chosen collection for string quartet.The Schott String Quartet SeriesWith the first books in the series focusing on baroque classical and romantic styles The Schott String Quartet Series has expanded to cover music ranging from traditional pieces through to Eastern-influenced works. Aside from 'Indian Summer' which features original compositions each book contains original arrangements of well known themes which have often never been arranged for string quartet before. An important characteristic of thesearrangements is that they allow all four instruments to demand the attention throughout the music. The pieces are suitable for amateur musicians or school students and are ideal for public performance.

The string quartet is generally considered as the chamber-music genre of the classical era: invented by Haydn elaborated by Haydn and Mozart and brought to its compositional peak by Beethoven. All later quartet composers had to measure themselves against the works of these three masters. This applies first and foremost toMendelssohn who has always been called a “classical romantic.” His Quartet in a minor op. 13 in particular is said to have strong Beethovenian stylistic traits. It was composed in late summer and fall 1827 shortly after Beethoven’s late quartets appeared in print works that Mendelssohn was no doubt familiar with. The Quartet in E flat major op. 12 was written two years later during Mendelssohn’s first tour of England.A textually identical score of the two quartets is published in Henle’s Study Scores series (HN 9270).