Read more
Like many composers of his time, Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich (born on February 20, 1803) displayed signs of musical talent from a young age. After a short-lived pursuit of studying law in Basel in 1822 and the year thereafter in Berlin, Fröhlich devoted himself to his musical studies. In Berlin, he received instruction from the music pedagogues, Karl Friedrich Zelter, Bernhard Klein and Ludwig Berger. During his studies, he also became acquainted with the young Felix Mendelssohn.
These years resulted in a period of abundance in musical composition: numerous lieder and choral works, string quartets and even a symphony. A number of his song cycles were even published in Germany. Even so, he was not able to maintain a living in Berlin, and in the hope of finding more fruitful soil for his labor, he returned to Switzerland in 1830.
In addition to working as a music teacher in the regional music school in Aarau, Fröhlich directed several choirs and an amateur orchestra. He dedicated the little spare time he had on his compositions. With a tiresome workload and isolated from the exciting musical life of Berlin, Fröhlich fell into an unhappy state which worsened with financial worries, a lack of recognition from his editors and the general public, along with other personal crises. In a state of desperation, he ended his life in the currents of the Aare River in October 1836.
While most of his unpublished musical works were forgotten, they have been well-preserved until this day.
Johannes Vigfusson
Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich (1803-1836)