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". 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.

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

Instrumentation
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
1. Allegro risoluto
 * Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

2. Adagio -
 * Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

3. Scherzo. Allegro molto
 * Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

4. Finale. Allegro vivace
 * Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

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The slow movement is based on an unpublished keyboard work of 1844, En landtlig bröllopfest (A Rustic Wedding).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

 * Naxos Records - 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)