Antonín Dvořák’s huge popularity in England was built largely on the success of his Stabat Mater, which hehad conducted there in 1884 and 1885. It was well suited to the country’s choral traditions and ledeventually to a commission for a Requiem, which was premièred in Birmingham in 1891. Written in tenmonths during tours to Russia, England and Germany, its success was immediate. Sitting closer to thetradition of Cherubini than Verdi, its tone is compassionate and reflective, devoid of unnecessary drama,and movingly crafted with great sophistication.