(Frants Bâr’-vald) 1796–1868
Swedish composer

Berwald played the violin in the court orchestra in Stockholm from 1812 until 1828. In 1829 he went to Berlin, where he worked on various operatic projects. His efforts were largely fruitless, and it was not until the 1840s that he met with success; all the works on which his reputation now rests date from this decade, including the four symphonies. He returned to Sweden in 1849, and continued his business activities outside music, as well as composing. He was appointed professor at the Swedish Royal Academy of Music in 1867. Appreciation of Berwald’s work, including many first performances, had to wait until the twentieth century. His style was rooted in the harmonic language of Beethoven, Hummel and Spohr, although his best works (such as the Sinfonie singulière, ‘Singular Symphony’, 1845) show melodic freshness and originality of form. He is one of the most important and individual of all Swedish composers.

Recommended Recording:
Sinfonie singulière, Symphony in E flat, Danish National Radio SO (cond) Thomas Dausgaard (Chandos)

Introduction | Early Romantic | Classical
Personalities | François-Adrien Boieldieu | Early Romantic | Classical