String Quartet No 12 op. 96 'American' / String Quintet op. 97 cover

String Quartet No 12 op. 96 'American' / String Quintet op. 97

Antonín Dvořák · 1994

55 min · 8 tracks · classical music

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental
89 /100
Summit
Higher than 99% of albums we've rated

Two strongly shaped chamber works sustain repeat listening through memorable themes and rhythmic detail; the score cannot assess this edition’s performance execution.

What we noticed

  • The quartet moves from an Allegro opening to a slow movement, scherzo and finale; the quintet repeats that four-part fast–slow/scherzo–finale outline.
  • The quintet follows the quartet directly and adds a second viola, extending the chamber texture without changing the album’s focus on Dvořák’s American-period string writing.
  • The quartet’s scherzo places a high, birdlike call over a recurring rhythmic figure, a small detail that stands out within its otherwise tightly patterned movement.
Composition 25% of the score
9/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
6/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
9/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
8/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
8/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 7/10

Defined its genre or moment. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, op. 96, 'American': I. Allegro, ma non troppo 9:11
  • 2 String Quartet No.12 in F major op.96, 'American' : II Lento 6:27
  • 3 String Quartet No.12 in F major op.96, 'American' : III Molto vivace 3:40
  • 4 String Quartet No.12 in F major op.96, 'American' : IV Vivace, ma non troppo 5:14
  • 5 String Quintet in E flat major op.97, 'American' : I Allegro non tanto 8:43
  • 6 String Quintet in E flat major op.97, 'American' : II Scherzo 5:22
  • 7 String Quintet in E flat major op.97, 'American' : III Larghetto 9:16
  • 8 String Quintet in E flat major op.97, 'American' : IV Allegro giusto 7:24

What to play next

String Quartets nos. 13 & 14
Listen next

String Quartets nos. 13 & 14

1994
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 / Bedřich Smetana: Vltava
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Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 / Bedřich Smetana: Vltava

1994
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Reference: MusicBrainz