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 a group 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 of birdcalls. 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 work being called the 'American Quartet?. For the first time since 1955, the quartet is once again being published in an Urtext edition. / 2 Violons, Alto Et Violoncelle

This is the full score of Aheym for String Quartet, composed by Bryce Dessner, best known as the guitarist of The National, but also an acclaimed composer in his own right.Composed in 2009 for the Kronos Quartet for their performance in Brooklyn's Prospect Park for the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival, Aheym (meaning 'homeward' in Yiddish) was directly inspired by his grandmother's migration to America. Dessner states that the stories and information she used to tell them permeated their collective imagination and created a close connection to the past. He dedicates Aheym to his grandmother, Sarah Dessner. The score in this edition was first performed on the 12th of March 2009 at the MusicNOW Festival, and on the 18th of July 2009 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. The work lasts around 10 minutes and is filled with dynamic tempo changes, a mix of staccato and smooth playing and all-round excitement. It's a fantastic piece to play and the genius composition will keep audiences on their toes. / Quatuor A Cordes