String Quartet No. 12 "American", Op. 96, was completed in 1893 by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1904). The nickname refers to the country where the composer was residing at the time, there are no clear influences of American music on the work. It has remained one of the most popular string quartets, and it is my favourite in the genre. The composition is in four movements and the average playing time is 25 minutes (AllMusic). I have three versions, of which I have a slight preference for the Vlach Quartet Prague on a Naxos CD.
