Proms 2024 Prom 49: Czech Philharmonic play Dvořák and Suk

When the great Czech composer Antonín Dvořák died, his protégé and son-in-law Josef Suk wrote three movements of a symphony in his mentor’s memory. Then tragedy struck again: Suk’s wife, Dvořák’s own daughter, died too. Added to the long-breathed, lyrical symphony Suk had written came two new movements: a furious scherzo and a transcendental statement of acceptance, finding peace in the beauty and renewal of the natural world. Celebrating the Year of Czech Music, the Republic’s flagship orchestra visits the Proms for a concert that combines Suk’s monumental symphony of grief with the gorgeous Cello Concerto by his beloved father-in-law.

Broadcast live on BBC Radio 3

Image: Jakub Hrůša © Petr Chodura