Symphony No. 4 (Berwald)

Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major is an orchestral work by Swedish composer Franz Berwald written in 1845. Berwald considered naming the symphony "Sinfonie naïve" but the autograph score is simply inscribed "No. 4 in E flat".^[1] Berwald attempted to interest French composer/conductor Daniel Auber in premiering the symphony but it had to wait until April 9, 1878 (ten years after the composer's death) when it was finally given a first performance under Berwald champion Ludvig Norman.^[2]

The first published score^[3] refers to the work as the composer's 3rd symphony.^[4]

Instrumentation[edit]

The symphony is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani and strings. It consists of four movements:

Structure[edit]

Allegro risoluto
Adagio -
Scherzo. Allegro molto
Finale. Allegro vivace

A typical performance lasts 25–30 minutes.

The slow movement is based on an unpublished keyboard work of 1844, En landtlig bröllopfest (A Rustic Wedding).

Discography[edit]

Naxos Records - Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra [sv] conducted by Okko Kamu (with Symphony No. 3 and the Piano Concerto)
Decca Records - San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Herbert Blomstedt (with Symphony No. 1)
Arte Nova - Jena Philharmonic conducted by David Montgomery (complete set of all four Berwald symphonies)
BIS - Malmö Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sixten Ehrling (complete set of all four Berwald symphonies)
Deutsche Grammophon - Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi (complete set of all four Berwald symphonies)
Hyperion - Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Roy Goodman (complete set of all four Berwald symphonies plus the fragment of a Symphony in A from 1800 and the overtures to the operas Estrella de Soria and Drottningen av Golconda)
Warner Classics - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ulf Björlin (complete set of all four Berwald symphonies plus short orchestral works)

References[edit]

^ Robert Layton: "Franz Berwald: The Four Symphonies", 1985
^ IMSLP (whose source is the Swedish Musical Heritage website)
^ Hamburg: Anton Benjamin, 1911 - available at IMSLP
^ his 3rd perhaps because his "Capricieuse" was still believed lost at the time.

External links[edit]

Symphony No. 4 (Berwald): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

[1] Robert Layton: "Franz Berwald: The Four Symphonies", 1985

[2] IMSLP (whose source is the Swedish Musical Heritage website)

[3] Hamburg: Anton Benjamin, 1911 - available at IMSLP

[4] s 3rd perhaps because his "Capricieuse" was still believed lost at the time.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Franz Berwald
Stage works	Jag går i kloster Modehandlerskan Estrella de Soria Drottningen av Golconda
Orchestral works	Symphony No. 1 (Sinfonie sérieuse) Symphony No. 2 (Sinfonie capricieuse) Symphony No. 3 (Sinfonie singulière) Symphony No. 4 (Sinfonie naïve)
Category

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	France BnF data
Other	MusicBrainz work