The Latin text of the mass for the dead, inspiring musical settings from the 15th century to this day, provided composers throughout the ages with an opportunity to reflect upon the end of human life and on the disquieting issues of human destiny. Dvorak's Requiem for solos, choir and orchestra was written in 1890 and performed in Birmingham the following year to considerable acclaim. This full-length work divides the liturgical text into thirteen extensive parts. The piano reduction of Dvorak's Requiem, part of the first Complete Critical Edition of Works by Antonin Dvorak, was produced by Karel Solc on the basis of the critical edition of the score.