Kirill Petrenko Conducts Josef Suk (3cd+1Bd)

While the name Josef Suk may not be familiar to all classical music fans, Kirill Petrenko's interest in the Czech composer dates back to his student days. Together with the Berliner Philharmoniker, he has recorded three of Suk's key and particularly expressive works on CD/Blu-ray. Josef Suk, born in 1874, lost his young wife as well as his teacher and friend Antonin Dvorak within the space of a few years. The Asrael Symphony was composed immediately following this double loss; the symphonic poems A Summer's Tale and The Ripening recount the struggle with the shadows of the past and, ultimately, how he overcame his suffering. The hardback edition, designed with ultraviolet photographs by the artist Richard Mosse, is an opportunity to get to know Josef Suk on a deeply personal level.