Grand Septet

Just over a week before the bicentenary of Ludwig van Beethoven's death, seven musicians will present one of his most valuable chamber works. The German master's Septet in E flat major, Op. 20, gained great acclaim shortly after its premiere, and his arrangements for solo piano, two guitars, piano for four hands, as well as piano quartet, quickly appeared; the author himself also prepared a version for instrumental trio. The enduring success and influence of the work will be evidenced by the work of the pen of Franz Berwald, an artist often considered to be the most outstanding among the Swedish composers of the 19th century.

The Grand Septet is the most popular chamber piece in the work of this artist. It was premiered in Stockholm in 1828. Despite the cast, this work, characterized by rich melody and formal inventiveness, is a preview of the symphonies created in the 1940s, of which the author is best known. He was born in the capital of the Scandinavian country in 1796, in a family associated with music for generations. He soon began touring as a violinist and received a position at the court of Charles XIII — ruler of the Kingdom of the Three Crowns — where he later became a violinist. As a creator, he was favored by changeable luck. While in Berlin (where he met Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy personally) to earn a living, he became a doctor — a successful orthopedist. He did quite well in Vienna, but after returning to his homeland for economic reasons, he was engaged in the management of industrial production, running, among other things, a glassworks. Having finally gained recognition in the artistic community, he began to work as a lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music, but less than a year later — on April 3, 1868 — he died.

There is no doubt that at the dawn of the 19th century it was Ludwig van Beethoven's Septet in E flat major Op. 20 that contributed to the popularization of large chamber ensembles combining string and wind instruments. It was also often performed in the Swedish capital, and it was there that the young Franz Berwald had the opportunity to meet him. The work, dedicated to the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, wife of Francis II of Habsburg, was performed for the first time during the same concert as the first Symphony of the artist from Bonn, on April 2, 1800, at Vienna's Burgtheater. The composition was written for violin, viola, clarinet, bassoon, horn, cello and double bass, and in its arrangement resembles a serenade. Much to Beethoven's disappointment, her popularity surpassed that enjoyed by works he considered more ambitious. However, the youthful energy of the Septet allowed the listeners to immediately succumb to the charm of the music. It is known that in addition to Berwald, she also inspired authors of this class, such as Louis Spohr or Johann Nepomuk Hummel.