Franz Berwald - The Battle of Leipzig

ID: CDS1051-2 (EAN: 7393338105121)  | 1 CD | DDD
Released in: 2002

LABEL:

Sterling Records

Collection:

World Premiere Recording

Subcollection:

Orchestra

Composers:

BERWALD, Franz

Ensembles:

Malmö Opera Orchestra

Conductors:

WILLÉN, Niklas

Other info:

Battle of Leipzig, ouvertures and more. A collection of world prémiere recordings! The Battle of Leipzig is the real sensation here. A battle very much in Beethovian style, but with lots of typical Berwald signs! And some charming and early pieces for violin and orchestra.
"The Battle of Leipzig is quite a find." - ClassicsToday.com

Franz Berwald's remarkable "musical painting" The Battle of Leipzig (1828) stands in a long if not particularly distinguished tradition of musical battle pieces, the most famous being Beethoven's Wellington's Victory, which of course is also the trashiest. In contrast, Berwald quotes only one well-known tune ("God Save the King"), and the rest actually is good music scored with extraordinary confidence, with the "artillery" limited to snare drums and bass drum. It's great fun, and Niklas Willén leads a buoyant performance. The very early (1816 and 1817 respectively) Theme and Variations for violin and orchestra and the brief (12 minutes) Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra exude charm and have some good tunes. It's clear that even at this stage the 20-year-old composer had great potential.

Moving to the later stages of the composer's career, Willén includes the Overture and premiere recordings of four vivacious dances from The Queen of Golconda, finishing with the Overture and Polonaise from Estrella di Soria. Berwald's technique here is more "finished" and sophisticated in a Mendelssohnian sense, but he never really lost his youthful freshness and verve. The Malmö Opera Orchestra plays with enthusiasm, though the strings have their scruffy moments in the rapid sections of The Queen of Golconda Overture. Sterling's sonics put a touch of glare around the climaxes, possibly the result of acoustic reflections in an empty hall, but that ought not to deter anyone interested in sampling this very rewarding offering of music by a sadly neglected composer. The Battle of Leipzig is quite a find. [6/13/2003]

David Hurwitz