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".^[1] 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.^[2]

The first published score^[3] refers to the work as the composer's 3rd symphony.^[4]

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

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The slow movement is based on an unpublished keyboard work of 1844, En landtlig bröllopfest (A Rustic Wedding).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 - Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra [sv] 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)