Berwald: Tone Poems

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Franz Berwald (1796-1868)Tone PoemsThe half-century between the premi?¿res of Beethoven'sNinth and Brahms's First Symphonies saw theemergence of numerous composers who, even if theyfailed to achieve the ultimate greatness, left a body ofwork which is distinctive and thought-provoking.Among the most idiosyncratic of these is FranzBerwald, whose life was a catalogue of passingsuccesses and lasting disappointments, made the morestriking, and ironic, by his successful embracing ofnotably differing careers.The orchestral works included here provideconsiderable insights into a creativity which was toextend over fifty years. Born in Stockholm on 23rd July1796, Berwald was playing in public as a violinist fromhis tenth year, and in October 1812 embarked on arestless sixteen-year spell as member of the RoyalOpera orchestra in the capital. He was alreadycomposing apace, and a benefit concert in January 1818was a not inconsiderable success. A further such concertin March 1821, however, was far less successful, thecriticism aimed at his Symphony in A (of which only atorso of the first movement survives) drawing atypically forthright response from Berwald. His musicfor Kellgren's Gustaf Vasa had a more positiveresponse in 1828, and it is hard to imagine theKonzertst??ck for Bassoon and Orchestra, composed theprevious year, would not have enjoyed a similarreception.First performed by the bassoonist Franz Preumayron 18th November 1828, the Konzertst??ck is in threesections. After a sprightly, Mozartian Allegro nontroppo with two contrasting themes, the Andante quotesdirectly the aria 'Home Sweet Home' from HenryBishop's then hugely popular opera Clari, or The Maidof Milan. Its opening phrase without the second-halfrefrain, is paraphrased at length, before a resumption ofthe initial Allegro brings this modest but highlyattractive work to a spirited close.The restrictions of being a professional musician,coupled with general indifference to his music inStockholm, led Berwald to quit his home city for Berlinin May 1829. Once again he was to meet withdisappointment in the frustration of his operatic plans,none of which came to fruition in this period. Therunning of an orthopaedic institute, which he founded in1835, was soon absorbing most of his time, and it wasonly on his move to Vienna in March 1841, to befollowed by his marriage a month later, that Berwaldresumed composition as a full-time activity. Theensuing decade saw the composition of almost all of hismature orchestral works, including the four tone-poemsincluded here. At least two of them were on theprogramme of a Vienna concert on 6th March 1842,when their individual approach to harmony andorchestration afforded Berwald some of the mostfavourable notices of his career.Elfenspiel (Play of the Elves) begins quietly andruminatively, after which, a lively but muted musicredolent of Mendelssohn emerges as the main portion ofthe work. A brief and rather dissonant climax on hornsand trumpets is reached, after wh