Life

Education and background

Alfred Berg grew up in Hudiksvall, where he enjoyed piano lessons from an early age with his mother, an accomplished amateur pianist who was often in demand in the city’s music life. After completing high school in 1877, Alfred Berg moved to Uppsala, where he immersed himself in the subject of botany, specifically plant physiology. He later published several scientific papers on these subjects. However, his life in Uppsala resulted in a vital interest, and near engrossment, in music. Alfred Berg participated frequently with the male choir Allmänna Sången and played violin in the Akademiska kapellet (the Academic Orchestra) under the direction of Jacob Axel Josephson.

As a result of his father’s death, Berg’s financial circumstances changed; he then accepted a position as tutor in a landowner’s family in Halland. However, his employer, Cavalry Captain Ehrenborg, encouraged him to return to his academic studies in Lund, and from 1886 assured his education by providing him with substantial financial aid. Thus, by 1888 Alfred was able to complete his undergraduate degree in short time.

Leading positions in university musical societies

But once again, his musical interests took command. From 1889 to 1894 Alfred Berg was leader of the Studentkapellet (the Student Orchestra). He was then selected to head Lunds Studentsångförening (the Lund University Male Chorus); in 1891 he was chosen to be the choir’s conductor and remained in this position until 1925. In 1890 he began to study abroad for various lengths of time at music conservatories in Germany. The longest duration was in Leipzig, from 1894 to 1896, in order to acquire professional music training.

After substituting several times as the Akademiska kapellet’s conductor, Alfred Berg became the regular conductor of the orchestra in 1897, serving as such until 1923. One of his duties as orchestra conductor included teaching music theory. Additionally, he led a number of choirs and ensembles in the county of Skåne for various periods of time. At a national level he was involved in the Svenska sångarförbundet (the Swedish Choral Society) as assistant conductor from 1910 to 1911 and as the principal conductor from 1912 to 1916.

In 1918, Alfred Berg was awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of Lund. He was recognised not only for his active participation in Lund musical life but also for producing a valuable catalogue of the Akademiska kapellet’s substantial collection of older sheet music. Also worthy of mention is his immersion into the acoustical problems that were, and are, associated with the design of concert halls. He published a study on this subject, and his suggestions were taken into consideration by the architect Nils Einar Eriksson during the construction of the Gothenburg Concert Hall in the 1930’s. Eriksson declared Alfred Berg to be ‘a noted authority in the field of acoustics’.

Living legend in Lund

During his time as student choirmaster, Alfred Berg was given the nickname ‘Fader Berg’ (Father Berg), almost by chance. He became legendary by way of his musical competence and authoritative manner, inspiring both enthusiasm and friendly collegiality. Led by ‘the Father’, the choir’s wide-ranging tours became triumphal pageants showcasing Scandinavia. The climax of these tours was reached in 1904, with a tour starting in Landskrona in May and ending three months later in New York City, for a total of 39 concerts. On this tour, the Lund singers’ performances at the world exhibition in Saint Louis received singular attention.

Works

As a composer, Alfred Berg had two specialties: choral and solo songs on the one hand, cantatas and ‘utility music’ on the other. He was capable of filling the need for festive music at academic ceremonies or important anniversaries for the Order of Freemasons as well as local community events. The latter included writing funeral music for the demise of prominent men: his motet ‘Människa af kvinna född’ was said to have made a strong impression on listeners at the funeral of Bishop Wilhelm Flensburg.

Several of his solo songs and secular compositions for male choir secured his popularity as a composer. Songs such as ‘Aftonen’ (‘Betrakta, betrakta, han sjunker så sakta’, by poet and literary critic Carl David af Wirsén), ‘Harrgårdstösa i äppelapla’ (Gustaf Fröding) and ‘Vaggen, vaggen, stilla vågor’ (Lund poet Sigurd Agrell), achieved status as standard repertoire for male choirs. Most famous, however, was ‘Aftonsång’ (‘Afton, o hur skön! / I melodisk bön / dränker jag hvar jordisk smärta.’) in which the baritone solo was performed in a professedly irresistible, sentimental manner by the Royal Swedish Opera singer John Forsell on several tours with Lunds Studentsångförening.

Carlhåkan Larsén © 2015
Trans. Thalia Thunander