Dvorak wrote String Quintet in A minor when he was 20 years old and it is the first work he attributed an opus number. The young composer still adhered closely to Classical examples, in particular, Mozart and Beethoven, while the piece does show clear signs of Dvorak's distinctive personality and musicality. The quintet parts were published as part of the Complete Edition of Works by Antonin Dvorak, under the supervision of editors Antonin Cubr and Karel Solc.