The Chamber Works of J.H.Freithoff – Norwegian Baroque Orchestra Soloists

Ketil Haugsand and the Norwegian Baroque Orchestra together dives into the music of Johan Henrik Freithoff

You really have to look long and hard to find anything more rare than a Norwegian composer from the middle of the 18th century. In this period Norway is on the rim of Europe, physically of course (as always), but also in a cultural sense. Musicians and composers who manage to make a living within the country were imported, mostly from Germany. A Norwegian would find it very difficult indeed to evolve and make a career as a composer in his own small country, and sources of inspiration were scarce. If you wanted to play and compose music, you had to get out into the world.

Johan Henrik Freithoff (1713 – 1767), born in the southern town of Kristiansand, was fully aware of this, and his journeys from an early age brought him to Denmark, Italy, even as far as Constantinople. He was the oldest son of town musician Baizer Freithoff in Kristiansand. Originally tutored by his father, Johan Henrik evolved into a violin virtuoso so dazzling that Christian VI finally made him ‘court violinist extraordinary’ in Copenhagen. But Freithoff had even higher goals for himself; he wanted to enter the civil service! He achieves this too, and even publishes several translations of English books into Danish. Freithoff’s musical development is from the baroque stylistic traits to the more classical style, all within a very personal musical language.