For those unfamiliar with the music of Josef Suk (1874-1935), nothing could serve as a better introduction to this gifted composer than his Serenade for Strings in E flat major, Op. 6. Written when he was around the age of 20 and a composition student of Antonin Dvorak, I find it surpasses his teacher's own Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22 also on this CD, by its immediate appeal and more clever use of simple, and yet beautiful melodies to carry the music along. For his time, Josef Suk was not a pioneer on the leading edge of 20th century music, but rather a true craftsman that could work wonders with the material at hand. His most famous work for example, the Asrael Symphony, does not cover any new ground, but can rivet the listener with passages of tremendous emotional impact. It is worth having this recording simply to hear the beautiful Adagio movement of his Serenade.

Conductor Daniel Myssyk and the members of the Appassionata Chamber Orchestra ply their magic in this music, and shape each and every phrase, and infuse each and every note, with care and sincere expression. I've rarely heard these two works played with this much conviction. And the recording engineers at Fidelio have managed to capture everything wrapped into the famous "Nimbus" sound (those of you old enough will remember) that seems to give string ensembles a warm glow and lush, full sound. A sonically beautiful recording ... highly recommended!

Jean-Yves Duperron - January 2013