Berwald: Piano Quintets

Lundin:Uppsala Cs

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Cat No: 8553970

Release Date: 12 January 1999

Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 730099497022

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: BERWALD

Description
Franz Berwald(1796-1868)Complete Works forPiano QuintetAlmost everybody would agree that Franz Berwald was the music world'sleading light in nineteenth-century Sweden. Many regard him as Sweden'sforemost composer, but during his lifetime few of his countrymen appreciatedhis art. This was partly because symphonies, the genre at which he excelled,were little appreciated. Besides operas and Singspiele, more intimateforms of 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 Hovkapellet, theorchestra of the Royal Opera, but the few symphonies that were presented inthese concerts were foreign and usually quite old. For decades in Sweden no newsymphonies appeared, Adolf Lindblad's Symphony No. 1 being theonly example. Its first performance in 1832 is significant from a musicalhistorical point of view, but it hardly made an impact. Around ten years laterthe Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra played it, but in Sweden Lindblad remainedknown exclusively 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 orthopaedic surgeon he managed to make a successful living, from 1835running his own orthopaedic 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, since he adfound a more inspiring milieu.In the spring of 1841 he closed the institute and moved to Vienna, byall accounts to continue his work in the orthopaedic field. He discovered,however, that the Viennese showed an interest in his music, which seems to havecleared his writers' block. Although he only remained in Vienna for a year hemanaged to write several works, including two symphonies, four orchestralfantasies and the opera Estrella de Soria. Some of the works were playedimmediately, including most of the opera. He himself conducted three of theshorter pieces. The reception he was given in this cosmopolitan city was morepositive than any he had experienced before. One can understand why he mighthave felt that the world was ready for his music, even Sweden. After thirteenyears abroad he decided to return home. In April 1842 he arrived in Stockholmwith his bags full of new music.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.
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