Asrael (Symphony No, 2,), Serenade for Strings, Fairy Tale : Belohlavek / Czech Philharmonic (2CD)

As both the favorite student and son-in-law of Antonin Dvorak, the Czech composer Josef Suk had an especially intense relationship with the older master. Dvorak's death in 1904 therefore hit him particularly hard, compounded by his own wife's early death a year later. The creative project into which he channeled his grief is the main work featured here: the 'Asrael' Symphony--the title referring to the Muslim angel of death--a large-scale dual memorial. The work is haunted throughout by a musical motif representing fate, but the mood of mourning is alleviated by nostalgic passages in memory of happier times.
Suk's tendency toward composing dark, mostly minor-key works had been noticed years earlier by Dvorak himself, who set Suk the task of writing a more optimistic piece. The result was a Serenade for Strings, which is somewhat indebted to Dvorak's own popular work in that genre, but has its own appealing lyricism and youthful effusiveness. The final work here is a 'Fairy Tale' which also mostly shows Suk's lighter side, including elements of folk style that aptly illustrate the Slovak legend at hand. The performances by the Czech Philharmonic are excellent in all the works, with the drama and passion of 'Asrael' inspiring them to an especially high level.