Quartet Op. 16 (written in 1874) is the first chamber work from a period in the composer's creative development in which he gradually extricated himself from the influence of German NeoRomanticism and began to work towards a more simplified and compact form and towards his own distinctive expression. Quartet No. 7 is a testimony of the composer's successful attempts at purity of form, clarity and flawless treatment. This work has a special position in Dvorak's chamber oeuvre: it was the first of his chamber pieces to come out in print. This title is part of the first Complete Critical Edition of Works by Antonin Dvorak. <br><br>