BERWALD : Symphonies and Overtures (SRSO · Roy Goodman) 2CD (2004) Serie Dyad | Two Version | FLAC (image+tracks+.cue), lossless

The Swedish composer Franz Berwald wrote music staggeringly ahead of his time; his symphonic works have rather more in common with Mendelssohn and Berlioz than strict chronological considerations would suggest. Robert Layton has written (in his Guide to the Symphony): 'It is the quality of Berwald's thematic invention, his transparent textures and expert orchestration, and the generosity of spirit that informs his musical personality that make his music engage both our sympathies and our affection'.

This set contains the four complete surviving symphonies, the fragmentary youthful A major Symphony (completed for this recording by Duncan Druce), and overtures to two of the composer's most successful operas.

There could be no orchestra more qualified to record the works of Berwald than that of the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation. Here they are conducted by Roy Goodman and recorded in the Berwald Hall in Stockholm. Hyperion
FRANZ BERWALD (1796-1868)
Tracklist 1 :
1.    Overture To Estrella De Soria (1841)    7:56
2-4.    Sinfonie Singulière (Symphony No.3 In C Minor) (1845)    (27:53)
5.    Overture To The Queen Of Golconda (1864)    7:41
6-8.    Sinfonie Capricieuse (Symphony No.2 In D Major) (1842)    (27:20)
Tracklist 2 :
1.    Symphony In A Major, Fragment (1820)
(Edited By [Completed By] – Duncan Druce)
2-5.    Sinfonie Sérieuse (Symphony No.1 IN G Minor) (1842)    (30:38)
6-8.    Symphony No.4 In E Flat Major ("Sinfonie naïve") (1845)    (27:21)
Credits : 
Conductor – Roy Goodman
Cover [Illustration: "Dawn Over Riddarfjardin" (1899)] – Eugène Jansson
Leader [Swedish Radio SO] – Ulf Forsberg
Liner Notes – Roy Goodman
Orchestra – Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

FRANZ BERWALD : Symphonies Nos. 1-4 (Thomas Dausgaard) 2CD (2004) Two Version | APE (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Half a decade after their first release on Chandos, Brilliant Classics has re-released Thomas Dausgaard and the Danish National Radio Symphony's recording Berwald's four symphonies. The only thing that has changed between the two releases is the price. The quality of the pieces, the performances, and the sound remain as they were before. The pieces, of course, are far and away the best symphonies written by a Swede in the Romantic period. Highly imaginative, brilliantly scored, robustly rhythmic, formally inventive, and thoroughly melodic, Berwald's symphonies rank right below Mendelssohn and Schumann's symphonies in the post-Beethoven/pre-Brahms repertoire. The performances, while very good, are not quite great. A skillful conductor, Dausgaard clearly understands the music and manifestly feels some affection for it, but his performances are just a tad too heavy and a shade too dark for the ebullient Berwald. Where the music should run, it jogs, and where it should soar, it plods. The Danish musicians do an adequate job of getting through the scores, but their playing lacks shine and sparkle. Chandos' sound was a bit distant, but clear and colorful, and Brilliant's sound is exactly identical. Of the digital recordings, Okko Kamu's, Roy Goodman's, Sixten Ehrling's, and Herbert Blomstedt's are better choices. James Leonard 
FRANZ BERWALD (1796-1868)
Tracklist 1 :
1-4.    Sinfonie Sérieuse (Symphony No. 1) In G Minor
5.    Erinnerung An Die Norwegischen Alpen (Memory Of The Norwegian Alps)    
6-8.    Sinfonie Capricieuse (Symphony No. 2) In D Major
Tracklist 2 :
1-3.    Sinfonie Singulière (Symphony No. 3) In C Major
4.    Elfenspiel (Play Of The Elves) Tone Painting For Large Orchestra
5-8.    Sinfonie Naïve (Symphony No. 4) In E Flat Major
Credits : 
Conductor – Thomas Dausgaard
Orchestra – Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.  

FRANZ BERWALD : 4 Symphonies (Gothenburg SO · Neeme Järvi) 2CD | Three Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

FRANZ BERWALD (1796-1868)
Tracklist 1 :
1-3.    Sinfonie Singulière (No 3) In C Major
4-6.    Sinfonie Capricieuse (No 2) In D Major
Tracklist 2 :
1-4.    Sinfonie "No 4" In E Flat Major
5-8.    Sinfonie Sérieuse (No 1)
Credits : 
Conductor – Neeme Järvi
Orchestra – Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra 

FRANZ BERWALD : Piano Quintets (Uppsala Chamber Soloists · Bengt-Åke Lundin) (2000) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless.cue), lossless

 For much of the nineteenth century in Sweden, music-making was confined to small-scale chamber music at home and ambitious composers had to move abroad to seek acceptance of their work. Whilst Berwald enjoyed some success in continental Europe, only a handful of his orchestral works were performed in Sweden during his lifetime. This caused him in later years to concentrate on chamber music, completing two piano quintets, two string quartets, three piano trios as well as duos for violin and piano and cello and piano. Berwald received much encouragement from his friend Liszt for his piano quintets, and dedicated his Quintet in A major to Liszt, a ‘true poetic master’. When Liszt received a score of the work he praised Berwald’s invention, skill and elegant style whilst adding, somewhat prophetically: ‘you truly possess originality but you will not enjoy success during your lifetime. Nevertheless you must persevere. naxos
FRANZ BERWALD (1796-1868)
1-3.    Piano Quintet No. 1 In C Minor    (25:31)
4-7.    Piano Quintet No. 2 In A Major    (31:48)
8-9.    Two Movements From A Piano Quintet In A Major (5:31)
Credits : 
Orchestra – Uppsala Chamber Soloists
Piano – Bengt-Åke Lundin
Cover [painting] – Walter Moras

FRANZ BERWALD : The Complete String Quartets (The Yggdrasil Quartet) (1996) FLAC (tracks), lossless

FRANZ BERWALD (1796-1868)
1-4.    String Quartet No. 1 In G Minor (1818)  (32:30)
5-8.    String Quartet No. 2 In A Minor (1849)  (21:37)
9-13.    String Quartet No. 3 In E Flat Major (1849)  (21:47)
Ensemble – The Yggdrasil Quartet
Cello – Per Nyström 
Viola – Robert Westlund
Violin [II] – Per Öman
Violin [I] – Fredrik Paulsson