1. By: Gina Cosgrove

2. Basic Information Title: String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, “American”, Op. 96 Composer: Antonín Dvořák 1893 One of the most popular in the string quartet repertoire Served as a model for American composers

3. Search for the American Sound 1892- Jeanette Thurber hires Dvořák as director of the National Conservatory of Music in NY Main goal: to discover “American Music” – African American and Native American music Winter/Spring 1893- New World Symphony Summer 1893- “American” String Quartet

4. Spillville, Iowa Czech immigrant community Spent summer vacation Family and Friends

5. Controversies “I should never have written these works ‘just so’ if I hadn’t seen America”- Dvořák Second Movement – African American Spiritual – Speculation “The only American thing about the work is that it was written there”- Paul Griffiths (analyst) “The specific American qualities of the so-called “American” Quartet are not so easily identifiable” - Lucy Miller (analyst)

6. Structure Pentatonic Scale- open, simple character (associated with America) Four movements Instrumentation: 2 violins, viola, and cello Tempo: varies from slow to fast

7. 1 st Movement-Allegro ma non troppo pentatonic first theme open voiced triads (3 rd of scale played octave higher) pentatonic second theme with melismatic ornamentation (characteristic of gypsy and Czech music) sonata form (exposition theme 1 and 2, development, recapitulation) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rhWXGmj4hs&feature=plcp&context=C36e919eUDOEgsToPDskIh_Q0oZoimQ07IxtANztCZ

8. 2 nd Movement- Lento African American Spiritual/Native American Tune pulsating harmony pentatonic scale melody http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDMlLiwEb0

9. 3 rd Movement- Molto vivace spirited and dance like off-beats and cross rhythms (ex. Eighth notes against triplets) ABABA structure B melody is A melody played in triplets at half tempo in minor (more lyrical and pulsated) melody is said to be of the scarlet tanager http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79kWlwIiQeA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvRUjygxsAQ&feature=related

10. 4th Movement- Finale: vivace ma non troppo ABACABA (rondo) syncopated rhythm train-like pulse and drive pentatonic melody A, more lyrical melody B, chorale theme C http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mleAHu3MKas&feature=related

11. Music Semiotics Icon: first theme of third movement= scarlet tanager’s song, harmonic accompaniment of fourth movement= rhythm of a train Index: chord progressions (I-IV-V-I) predictable cadences (song ends phrases predictably) Symbol: open voiced triads= openness of America’s West

12. Influence Influence of American folk music on Quartet: – Debatable Influence of Quartet on American music: – Undeniable – “The extensive use of folk-songs in 20 th century American music and the ‘wide-open-spaces’ atmosphere of ‘Western’ film scores may have at least some of their origins in Dvořák’s new American style”- George Butterworth (critic) Influenced other American composers to enter quartet genre