Suk began to compose his funeral symphony at the beginning of 1905, about eight months after Dvořák's death. The composition was titled after
Asrael (Azrael), known as the angel of death in the
Old Testament and as the Islamic carrier of souls after death. The work is in five movements. Suk completed the sketches of three movements less than a half year later. On 6 July 1905, while Suk was in the middle of the work, his wife Otilie died. Although the composition was to be also a celebration of Dvořák's life and work, the desolated composer rejected the optimistic tone of the rest of the work. Suk himself recalled: : 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. Suk completed the score on 4 October 1906. He dedicated the work "to the exalted memory of Dvořák and Otilie", in particular the last two movements to Otilie. The symphony was premièred on 3 February 1907 at the
Prague National Theatre, conducted by
Karel Kovařovic.
Karel Hoffmann and
Jiří Herold, members of the
Czech Quartet, attended the premiere as the
concertmasters of the orchestra of the National Theatre. == Structure ==