It is the opinion of many that Franz Berwald is Sweden’s greatest composer. A single composer has come to be predominantly identified with each Scandinavian country: so Norway has Grieg, Denmark has Nielsen, and Finland has Sibelius. Why, then, have these three achieved such status in the world of music, compared to Berwald? Before leaping to value-judgments with a remark such as “…because he’s not such a great composer…”, let’s consider some of the facts of the case.
First, the dates:
Grieg 1843-1907
Nielsen 1865-1931
Sibelius 1865-1957
From this comparison, you can see what a pioneer he was, well ahead of his time.
Second, the connection with Nationalism:
The desire to cultivate and appreciate national identity was particularly strong in the second half of the 19th Century. Sibelius and Grieg linked themselves strongly with this phenomenon, and Nielsen, too, to a somewhat lesser extent. Berwald’s Sweden was not yet at this stage, and seemed content to remain culturally provincial. Thus there was no motivation within Sweden to adopt and promote Berwald’s music. Contrast this with Sibelius’s position, where the Finnish government paid him a regular stipend in recognition of his services to Finland!
Third, Berwald’s personality:
The romantic view of artists is that they would sacrifice everything to their art. Rather than compromise, they would prefer to live in a garret on an occasional crust of bread. Though this may indeed be true of some, it was not the case with Berwald. He was affected emotionally and financially by the fact that his countrymen failed to give him a proper hearing. In order to live, he exercised some of his other talents. He opened and ran an orthopaedic institute for six years, and later managed a glass factory and sawmill in the north of Sweden. Fortunately for us, however, he didn’t entirely give up composition.
Fourth, Berwald’s oeuvre:
Arising from the above, we have to admit, sadly, that the catalogue of Berwald’s works is comparatively small. Sweden was a country where symphonies were virtually never heard; of Berwald’s four, only the first was ever played during his lifetime, and that extremely badly and unsympathetically. The reception he had received in Vienna was so encouraging that he thought he could be just as successful in Stockholm. In vain! Later he turned to chamber music, as he thought there was more chance of recognition in this field: at least people did play chamber music.
So – was he a lesser composer?
Well, this is subjective, but two things at least are true. One is that he is gaining steadily in popularity, and his true achievement is beginning to be recognised. And the other is that Liszt had some very complimentary things to say about him. “You express yourself with invention, skill and agility, your developments and recapitulations are masterfully executed, your style both elegant and harmonically original. Audiences,” he said, “lack understanding. I quote from the Good Book – ‘They have ears, but they hear not.’ Believe me, sir, you must not allow yourself to be influenced by these many critics with big ears, rather continue to compose as your heart and fantasy dictate. You truly possess originality, but you will not enjoy success in your lifetime. Nevertheless you must persevere.”