With the recommendation of Suk’s father-in-law, Antonín Dvorák, Simrock published String Quartet No. 1 in B-flat major op. 11 (1896) and Serenade op. 6; these were the first of Suk's compositions to be published by Simrock. Dvorák believed that String Quartet No. 1 in B-flat major op. 11 was the best that I know by him.” Nearly twenty years after its completion, Suk rewrote the fourth movement of the composition because he was so dissatisfied with the original. Even though the later version of the four movement uses the same thematic material, the new version differs so substantially from the original that this movement is frequently performed on its own.

This edition includes both the original 1896 "Finale" and the revised 1915 "Finale." The second edition by Simrock serves as the primary source material for the original, and a score and parts marked with Suk's corrections serves as the source for the revised "Finale."