Symphony Asrael Op. 27

Roughly eight months after the death of Antonín Dvorák (1 May 1904), his son-in-law Josef Suk began to compose a funeral symphony. While he was working on it fate struck a second time with the death of his beloved wife, Otilie. He dedicated the five-movement symphony to Dvorák and his daughter Otilie and named it after the Angel of Death “Asrael”.

The principal source for our edition is the first edition of the score (1907), supplemented by the corrections Suk entered at the suggestion of conductor Václav Talich (1921). The most significant change was the expansion of the orchestra to include ad libitum parts for the fifth and sixth horns.

• Firstscholarly-critical edition
• Includes Suk’s later corrections, including ad libitum parts for the fifth and sixth horns
• Detailed Foreword (Cz/Eng/Ger) and Critical Commentary (Eng) by the editor
• Performance material (BA9532-72) available for hire