Symphony No. 2 "Asrael", Op. 27, was completed in 1905 by Bohemian composer and violinist Josef Suk (1874 - 1935). This is a requiem symphony, as shown by the subtitle, which is the name of the legendary Angel of Death who attends the souls of the departed and offers them hope. Suk started it because of the death of his father in law Antonín Dvořák in 1904 - and when he had finished the first movements, his wife Otilie passed away as well. Suk himself said "The fearsome Angel of Death struck with his scythe a second time. Such a misfortune either destroys a man or brings to the surface all the powers dormant in him. Music saved me and after a year I began the second part of the symphony, beginning with an adagio, a tender portrait of Otilka." The average playing time is 60 minutes (
AllMusic). I have two versions, of which I have a slight preference for the one by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Vaclav Neumann on a Supraphon CD.
