Fröhlich Violin Sonatas: First Edition

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich, born in Brugg in 1803, met prominent musicians in Berlin who inspired him to switch from studying law to studying music. Starting in 1826, in addition to choral works, songs, and string quartets, he composed eight violin sonatas; the last two have now been published for the first time. Both are easy to play, well-suited to the instruments, and musically still very much in the classical, school-style tradition: 1st movement: Exposition–Development–Reprise–Coda; Scherzo with Trio; Adagio; Rondo finale. The themes are catchy, featuring many cheerful, virtuosic passages in both instruments. Abrupt key changes feel natural within the context.

The 8th Sonata, composed in June 1826, is very extensive: it took my colleague and me nearly an hour to play through it, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The scherzo even includes a short fugue. The 7th Sonata, composed in May 1826, is much more compact, with ideas following one another in rapid succession. Instead of a scherzo, there is a march with a lyrical middle section; the transition from the Adagio to the finale is a return to the main theme of the first movement—a comparison with the sonatas of Carl Maria von Weber comes to mind.

The printing of the first editions is clean, but very spread out and does not allow for turning the pages: You have to skip measures to keep moving forward, which works for casual home concerts thanks to the simple structure, but is impossible for performances.

Suicide at age 33to drive

Fröhlich returned to Switzerland in 1830, worked at the Aarau Cantonal School, married Ida von Klitzing, with whom he had two daughters; his many compositions received no recognition, despair, hopelessness, and financial problems led to his suicide in 1836 at the age of 33.

His 700 compositions, almost all of which are manuscripts, are housed in the University Library of Basel. In 2017, the International Friedrich-Theodor-Fröhlich Society and the Fröhlich-Konzerte Brugg Cultural Association were founded in Brugg; these organizations are responsible for publishing his works and organizing public concerts.

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich: Duo for Piano and Obligato Violin (Violin Sonata No. 7), IFTFG-05, 30.00 Swiss francs, edited by Johannes Vigfusson, first edition, full score and part, Friedrich-Theodor-Fröhlich SocietyCompany, Brugg, mail@froehlich-gesellschaft.comId.: 8th Sonata for Piano and Violin, IFTFG-06, 35.00 francs, froehlich-gesellschaft.com/