Berwald: Complete Duos

Lundin:Ringborg:Bergstrom

Regular: £11.49

Sale: £11.49
Regular

Out of Stock

Unit Price: per

Cat No: 8554286

Release Date: 04 January 2000

Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 636943428627

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: BERWALD

Description
Franz Berwald(1796-1868)Complete DuosAlmost everybody would agree that Franz Berwald was the musical world'sleading light in nineteenth-century Sweden. Many regard him as Sweden'sforemost composer ever. But during his lifetime few of his countrymen appreciatedhis art.This was partly because symphonies, the genre at which he excelled, werelittle appreciated. Besides operas and Singspiele, more intimate formsof music practised in the home with friends were preferred, such as pianopieces, chamber music, works for male choir and solo songs. Most of what waswritten was unpretentious in the salon music vein.Orchestral concerts were given sporadically by the Hovkopellet, theorchestra of the Royal Opera, but the few symphonies that were presented in theseconcerts were foreign and usually quite old. For decades in Sweden no newsymphonies appeared; Adolf Lindblad's Symphony No. 1 being the onlyexample. Its first performance in 1832 is significant from a musical historicalpoint of view, but it hardly made an impact. Around ten years later the LeipzigGewandhaus-orchester played it, but in Sweden Lindblad remained knownexclusively for his songs and chamber music.It is therefore easy to understand why Berwald the sophisticate foundthe antiquated Swedish music scene suffocating. In 1829, at the age ofthirty-three, he left Sweden and moved to Berlin, where he remained for twelveyears, working not as a musician but in one of the other professions he wasobliged to practise during his lifetime in order to support himself. As askilled orthopedic surgeon he managed to make a successful living, from 1835running his own orthopedic institute. In his free time he wrote a notinsubstantial amount of music, first and foremost operatic fragments, althoughnothing complete has emerged from this time. One can wonder why, when he hadnow found a more inspiring milieu.In the spring of 1841 he closed the institute and moved to Vienna, itseems to continue his work in the orthopedic field. He discovered, however, thatthe Viennese showed an interest in his music, which seems to have cleared hiswriters' block. Although he only remained in Vienna for a year he managed towrite several works, including two symphonies, four orchestral fantasies andthe opera Estrella de Soria. Some of the works were played immediately,including most of the opera. He himself conducted three of the shorter pieces.The reception he received in this cosmopolitan city was more positive than anyhe had experienced before. One can understand why he might feel that the worldwas ready for his music, even Sweden. After thirteen years abroad he decided toreturn home. In April 1842 he arrived in Stockholm with his bags full of newmusic.His hopes had been in vain however. The Swedish music scene had notchanged noticeably at all. Stockholm, was, apart from the Opera, as provincialas it had always been, at least it seemed that way to Berwald who was now usedto the rich concert life on the continent. The few compositions he
Tracklisting