SUK: Asrael / Fairy Tale / Serenade for Strings

I just received my copy of this recording yesterday and I've listened to it straight through twice already. The quality of the recording is absolutely perfect. The clarity of the gentle, lyrical passages is pure and beautiful. The more powerful passages come through with a thunder that is often missing from classical recordings. I love it!

Of course, the compositions themselves are beautiful and full of emotional expression in a purely and unapologetically late romantic style. The performance by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra is as good as it gets. They know how these pieces need to be played and they do it well.

Do yourself a favor and buy this recording. You will not be dissapointed.

I was only recently introduced to the works of Suk, and this 2-CD set is a superb example of why his music is becoming a mainstay of my collection! The Czech Philharmonic really knows how to bring out the best in this music, and I heartily recommend this recording. The Asrael Symphony especially is worth the price alone!

Asrael Symphony, Fairy Tale, Serenade for Strings: by Josef Suk

Josef Suk,(1874-1935), was a Czech composer and violinist, in 1888 Suk turned his hand to serious composition. Suk's early works show the influence of Dvorák and Johannes Brahms, while later pieces use more extended harmonies to create a personal and complex style. Unlike many of his countrymen, he made little use of Czech folk music. His best known works are probably the youthful Serenade for Strings (1892) and the Asrael Symphony in C minor, (1906), a work written in response both to the death in 1904 of his father-in-law, Antonin Dvorák , and the next year of his wife Otilie Suková (née Dvoráková). Other pieces include the Pohádka Fairy Tale suite about the constant love of Radúz and Mahulena and their trials (1899), the cycle of piano works Things Lived and Dreamed (1909), and the trilogy of symphonic poems A Summer's Tale (1909), The Ripening (1917) and Epilogue (1929). Of all the pupils of Antonin Dvorák, Suk and Novak were to play the most significant and influential roles in the development of music in Czechoslovakia in the early twentieth century as both were true to their national background, in the character of their music, both in writing in the late Romantic style tinged with their individual approach to Impressionism and native folk culture.

This is a 2-CD set recorded on the Chandos Label featuring the Asrael Symphony, Op. 27 on the first CD. While the second CD contains the Pohádka (Fairy Tale), Op. 16 and the Serenade for Strings, Op. 6. These are beautiful recordings by the Ceská filharmonie (Czech Philharmonic) which is based in Prague. The orchestra's principal concert venue is the Rudolfinum. In December 2010, the orchestra announced the reappointment of Jirí Belohlávek as chief conductor, for 2012, with an initial contract of 4 years. These recordings are from the Spanish Hall, Prague Castle from June 17, 19 and 21, 1991 for the Asrael Symphony (CD-1) and Dvorák Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague June 22,25-26, 1992 for the Fairy Tale and Serenade for Strings (CD-2), when Jirí Belohlávek was the chief conductor between 1990-1992.

CD-1 Total Time: 58:38

Asrael Symphony for large orchestra in C minor, Op. 27

Part 1

1. Andante sostenuto - Andante con moto e resoluto - 14:52
-- Piu pesante e maestoso -
2. Andante - 7:11
3. Vivace - Andante sostenuto - Appassionato - Maestoso 12:01

Part 2

4. Adagio 10:21
5. Adagio e maestoso - Allegro appassionato -
-- Adagio e maestoso - Andante maestoso - Adagio e mesto 13:56

The symphony is scored for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets in B-flat (A, E-flat), bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contra-bassoon, 6 horns (horns V and VI ad lib), 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, harp, and strings. The influence of Dvorák's composing style, apparent in previous Suk's work, is not noticeable in this composition. Suk leads his musical language rather to the modern polyphonic and harmonic techniques. The composition was titled after the Islamic angel of death Asrael, who leads the souls of the deceased to the land of eternal blissfulness. The work was planned out in five movements; the sketches of three movements were finished less than a half year later. This symphony alone is worth the purchase price as it is beautiful and very moving and evokes pent up emotions. The Asrael Symphony represents a significant milestone in the context of Suk's oeuvre. Andante sostenuto concerns the struggle between Life and Death. The Andante reflects Loss. The Vivace presents two dances. In part 2, The Adagio is Suk's professed "portrait of Otilka". Adagio e maestoso. "What is the point of living?" This symphony will grip you and pull on your heart and take you on a whirlwind ride from confusion via perplexity, intrigue, and astonishment to admiration, respect and love, the combination of extremely emotive content and radical structure makes it hard, even painful to penetrate at times. In the end, the symphony is a celebration of the cycles of life. The work was dedicated "to the exalted memory of Dvorák and Otilie". Suk dedicated the last two movements to Otilie.

CD-2 Total Time: 59:50

Pohádka (Fairy Tale), Op. 16 30:00
Serenade for Strings in E flat major, Op. 6 29:41

1. Andante con moto 5:57
2. Allegro, ma non troppo e grazioso 6:01
3. Adagio - Piu andante - Tempo I 9:32
4. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo presto - Vivace 7:59

Suk wrote the music for Julius Zeyer's mythological drama Radúz and Mahulena (1897-8), in 1899-1900. Suk extracted a four-movement Suite to this Pohádka (or Fairy Tale). Zeyer, (1841-1901), was a Czech prose writer, poet, and playwright, greatly impressed Suk. Zeyer's dramatic poem is one of the most beautiful love stories to have graced a Czech stage. Classical fairy-tale motifs wed with mythological references joined together with bravado through a metaphorical language. Radúz and Mahulena, from feuding kingdoms, surmount on behalf of their love not only the wiles of fate, but also the sorceries of Queen Runa, burning with hate. Zeyer gave his play the subheading "A Slovak fairy tale in four acts" and the splendid prologue "I am a fairy tale. I will lead those who join me to the blue lands of fable..." Besides Slovak myths and fairy tales, he also drew upon the Indian drama Sakuntala by the poet Kalidasa. In doing so, he created an exceptionally impressive work whose center of gravity is the power of the word augmented by abundant symbolism of colors and natural elements.

The serenade, a youthful work, soon brought Suk considerable fame and Dvorák's longtime supporter, Johannes Brahms, endorsed its publication. The serenade is a composition of lighter, more jovial, and more cheerful music with sunny and uncomplicated sonority, with a melancholy strain. Based on Dvorák's suggestion, Suk produced a serenade for strings. This is probably Suk's most famous work.

These are Chandos Digital recordings with the SPARS Code: DDD for these CD's. Chandos is one of a few recording labels that brings to the audiophile seldom to never heard recordings of high quality music that is a genuine reproduction with precise depth gradation, original dynamics, and natural tonal colors with the appropriate spatial dimension giving the recording a naturalness with vivid sound. I played these recordings back on a Blu-ray A/V system 7:1 and you get the full quality of the sound recording. So, sit back relax and listen to some very well-recorded music, the performance is excellent and the sound quality of the discs are as close to a real live performance as you can get without being there in person.