Josef Suk's Asrael Symphony is a double commemoration, written in memory of his father-in-law Antonín Dvořák and his wife Otilie, both of whom died within a year.
Performer Biography
Karel Ančerl, a Jewish conductor, was deported to Theresienstadt and Auschwitz during WWII, where he conducted the concentration camp's string orchestra.
Compositional Technique
The title of Josef Suk's symphony, Asrael, refers to the angel of death in Shi'ite Islam who separates the soul from the body.
Performer Biography
Karel Ančerl, the conductor, established the Czech Philharmonic as one of the world's most eminent orchestras, leading it on a record-breaking world tour in 1959.
Recording & Production
This album features a unique recording of Josef Suk's Asrael Symphony by Karel Ančerl, as he never commercially recorded it despite its importance in Czech music.
Performer Biography
Karel Ančerl emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1968 after the 'Prague Spring' liberalizations were forcibly reversed, becoming chief conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Composer Biography
Josef Suk, the composer of Asrael, was not only a leading Czech composer but also a founding member and second violinist of the Bohemian String Quartet for over 40 years.
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