Musicatlas
Music
Instrumental:
- Violin Concerto (1918)
- Serenade for violin and orchestra (1923)
- Piano Concerto (1931)
Soli, choir and orchestra:
- "Mannen och kvinnan", cantata (‘The Man and The Woman’, text: Gustaf Fröding, 1911)
- Höga visan (‘Song of songs’, 1925)
Choir and orchestra:
- Israels lovsång (‘The praise of Israel’, 1915)
Baryton and orchestra:
- Saul och David (‘Saul and David’, 1907)
- Eros vrede (‘The wrath of Eros’, 1907)
- Predikaren (‘The Ecclesiast’, 1911)
Soprano and orchestra:
- Die badenden Kinder (‘The bathing children’, 1918)
Song and piano:
- 11 songs for soprano (1926)
Operas:
- Leila (1908-10)
- Engelbrekt (1924-28)
- Judith (1931-35)
- Birgitta (first performed 1942)
- Genoveva (1944-46)
- Three kings (incomplete, -1957?)
Ballets:
- Älvorna (The Fairies, 1914)
- Sensitiva (1919)
- Hertiginnans friare (The Duchess’ suitors, 1920)
Orchestra:
- Traumgewalten (after a poem by Nikolaus Lenau, 1911)
- Symphony no 1 "Alles endet was enstehet" (about the Titanic catastrophy), 1913
- Symphony no 2 "Varde ljus" (‘And let there be light’, 1914)
- Symphony no 3 "Årstiderna" (‘The seasons’, 1916)
- Symphony no 4 "Makter" (‘Forces’, 1917, reworked 1939)
- Symphony no 5 "Pezzo Sinfonico" (1918)
- Symphony no 6 "Trilogia delle passioni" (1924)
Chamber works:
- Pianoforte quintet (1917)
- String quartet (1919)
Life
Selftaught Swedish composer, except for studies in singing and counterpoint at the Stockholm Conservatory (1897-1900) and some letters exchanging between the composer and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Studied veterinary surgery and worked as such in the Swedish army. Met fellow composers Kurt Atterberg, Oskar Lindberg and Ture Rangström, formed the swedish "mighty handful" clique "Spillran" (‘The Remnant’), which should encourage the late romantic nationalistic style in music, though Berg was less influenced by folk music and more by Richard Strauss and Wagner. Berg and Atterberg also took initiative to Society of Swedish Composers, and Berg was the society’s first chairman.
Berg’s operas where all, except for Tre kungar, played at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. Engelbrekt was also given in Germany.
Like Allan Pettersson, his temper gave him many enemies, and though succesful between the two world wars, his music is very seldomly played nowadays.