Johan Fredrik Berwald

During four years, starting in 1808, Johan Fredrik Berwald was a soloist at the Royal Chapel in Saint Petersburg.

Unlike his cousin Franz Berwald, Johan Fredrik was successful as a musician during his lifetime.

The cousins were sometimes rivals, and Johan Fredrik made, as far as is known, no efforts to help Franz have his scenic and symphonic works performed.

He was regarded as an average conductor and out of date as a composer, but his introduction of Weber's and Meyerbeer's operas, for instance, was successful, partly because of Jenny Lind's participation.

A couple of divertissements were composed directly for Jenny Lind, for example "En majdag i Värend" (1843) in a kind of nationally and popularly adapted style bearing the stamp of the period.