The composer Johannes Frederik Frøhlich (1806-1860) occupies a somewhat humble position in Danish music history, despite the fact that when he was a young man, it looked like he had a brilliant career ahead of him. Johannes Frederik Frøhlich was the son of a military musician and was already performing as a prodigy on flute, violin and piano at the age of eight.

Frøhlich was taught by Weyse as well as by Fr. D. Kuhlau. However, it was as a violinist that Frøhlich first distinguished himself. In 1821, he became an apprentice in Det Kongelige Kapel (The Royal Danish Orchestra) and he quickly moved up the ranks with the result that already by 1827, he was promoted to the post of choirmaster. He continued with this task until 1836, when he was asked to work alongside both Peter Ferdinand Funck and Ivar Bredal as Kapellmeister, which he did until 1844.

In the years 1829 to 1831 he made a study trip, which led him through Hamburg, Hanover, Kassel and Frankfurt am Main, Paris, Florence, Rome and Naples. It was during this trip he composed the symphony in E flat major, which was given the opus number 33. It does not come as a surprise that these works reflect something of the musical idiom with which Frøhlich became acquainted while travelling abroad: composers like Heinrich Spohr, Luigi Cherubini and Jacques Halévy must have convinced him of the effect of grandiose orchestration, while violinists Pierre Rode and Rodolphe Kreutzer opened his ears to virtuoso violin music.

His Symphony in E flat major, Op. 33, was premiered with the title “Symphonie à grand Orchestre” at an evening entertainment held at The Royal Theatre on 8 April 1833, featuring music conducted by the violinist and répétiteur at The Royal Theatre, Frederik Wexschall.

This edition is edited by Lisbeth Ahlgren Jensen.