Louis Spohr's Autobiography Translated from the German (part 4 of 4)

Louis Spohr's Autobiography Translated from the German (part 4 of 4)

After a few week’s return only, to Cassel, and during the theatrical vacation, Spohr set out upon another journey and proceeded first to Gandersheim, where all his brothers with their families were assembled, to pay a last visit to their mother, who was dangerously ill, and who, in spite of her suffering condition, felt extreme pleasure in seeing them round her. Although she had not left her room for several weeks, and had therefore been unable to go up stairs to the upper story of the house, yet when she heard that Spohr was going to play something with his wife in the music-room there, she requested to be assisted to get up there, “to hear her loved son for the last time, and in fancy to dream away in listening to his tones;” and upon that occasion, seated in the midst of her children, listened to him with joyful emotion and interest. As on the days immediately ensuing a visible improvement in her condition seemed to have taken place Spohr, in full hopes of greeting his mother once more upon his return, continued his journey to Lübeck with a mind more at rest. But alas! his hopes were not realised, for before he returned to Gandersheim he received the lamentable announcement of her death!

From Lübeck Spohr proceeded to Hamburg, where he arrived just in time to undertake the direction of his opera “Jessonda.” The performance of the opera, in which Mrs. Walker as Jessonda, and Mr. Reichel as Dandau, especially distinguished themselves, was in every respect a great success, and there were immense applause and loud demonstrations in honour of Spohr. As it took place immediately after the close of the performances of the Italian operas, the “Hamburger Zeitung” gave a comparative notice in its next issue of these two different kinds of musical entertainment. It began with the words: “On Saturday the whole song-loving company of Italian operatic performers departed in high spirits; on Sunday, Spohr the German master took the director’s chair in the town theatre to conduct his splendid “Jessonda” in person. With the former, abundance of noise, merriment, and somewhat of dissension, to-do, and submissive politeness--but here, calm, noble dignity, honest thanks, becoming demeanour, and permanent merit &c.” Further on it adds: “The lovers of music in Hamburg celebrated on Sunday a real musical festival in the theatre; they were not only enabled to express aloud their recognition of the German master, but they had the opportunity also of drawing a comparison between ‘Jessonda’ and ‘Lucretia Borgia.’ In ‘Jessonda’ all is tender yearning, and sweet hope, the golden age of fond first love: in “Lucretia Borgia” Hyena-like cunning in the poison-envenomed breast; nothing of love’s purity, love’s grosser passion alone; and in the same relative characteristic proportion is the poesy of the music.” No one experienced more delight at this new triumph of Spohr than his enthusiastic admirer Julius Schuberth, the well-known music publisher, under whose hospitable roof Spohr and his travelling companions spent most agreeably the four days of their stay in Hamburgh, which their kind host strove by every possible means, to render a series of festive pleasures and of distinguishing attentions. Among others a brilliant musical party was got up in which Spohr performed some of his quartetts, and was greatly charmed with Miss Unna’s beautiful execution in his quintet for the pianoforte.

Upon this occasion Schuberth expressed so great a wish to publish some similar grander pianoforte pieces of Spohr’s composition, that the latter was induced to write shortly after his return from Hamburg, his first trio for pianoforte, violin and violincello, and therewith at the same time fulfilled a wish that had been for years reiterated by Mrs. de Malsburg, the distinguished dilettante pianiste, to whom he then dedicated the work. This first trio by Spohr (Op. 119) was welcomed with great satisfaction by the musical world, and numerous journals far and near expressed their delight and thanks upon its appearance. The “Leipzic New Musical Journal” speaks of it in the following terms: “Although the great master has never written any thing of this kind until now, he nevertheless moves in this new genre with true artistic consciousness of power, and with genial freedom. The trio is one of the finest productions of the genius of Spohr, in which together with the greatest possible finish in form, a profusion of beauties of the first class, and master strokes of genius stand out in prominent relief. As the gem of the whole the scherzo and its trio must be mentioned. Here, as though at the stroke of the magician’s wand, a fairy island of the blessed rises to the imagination,--we are environed as though by a garden of wonders, a blooming oasis of sound full of the deep glowing splendour of oriental colouring!... It is moreover exceedingly remarkable how Spohr here understood the way to unite two elements which are otherwise strangers and indeed usually antagonistic to each other: the humoristic and the impassioned, elegiacally tender element of feeling....”

At the commencement of the year 1841 Spohr wrote a fantasia for pianoforte and violin on themes from his opera “Der Alchymist” (The Alchymist), the charming melodies of which were especially favourable to such a reconstruction (Op. 117, Vienna, published by Mechetti); an English psalm for soli, with chorus and organ accompaniment (Op. 122, published by Simrock of Bonn); and a song, “Schill,” for men’s voices, with accompaniment of military music, written for the inauguration of Schill’s asylum for invalids at Brunswick, and which was next publicly given by the Casseler glee society at a concert for charitable purposes, and met with such general approbation that Spohr conceived the idea of sending it to Frankfort and therewith fulfil his promise of a contribution to the “Collection of small compositions to the Mozart institution.” Upon the same occasion he replied to a question which had been put to him concerning a qualified candidate to the first stipend paid by that institution, by recommending Jean Bott of Cassel, although but 14 years of age, and wrote of him in the following terms: “Bott is a virtuose on the violin and pianoforte and even now displays so remarkable a talent for composition, that I anticipate for him a brilliant future. He has been a pupil of mine on the violin for the last six months, and I never yet had one so clever. Hauptmann (his instructor in composition) says the same of him.” Supported by such distinguished recommendations the young musician, after the works which he had sent in had been submitted to the test, received the desired stipend for one year, followed up his studies under Spohr and Hauptmann with great zeal, and while yet a boy received an appointment in the Cassel “Hofkapelle.”

As Spohr had proposed to himself to pass the theatrical vacation this time in a trip to Switzerland, he determined upon going thither by the way of Stuttgard and Hechingen, in order to make the personal acquaintance of the reigning Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, who at various times had written to him, and shown himself to be an enthusiastic lover of music by expressing his admiration of Spohr’s “Weihe der Töne” in terms of great praise.

As Spohr’s intended visit at Hechingen was known beforehand he was welcomed there upon his arrival in the most heartfelt manner. What took place during their stay here was thus described in a letter written home: “On the very first evening Kapellmeister Täglichsbeck and Court-Councillor Schilling came to fetch us from Stuttgard, to drive us about the town, and for the purpose, as they said, of showing us the new concert-hall. But on our arrival there, to our surprise we found a numerous company assembled, and we were received by the Prince in the most gracious and friendly manner.” After a short conversation, he led Spohr to an elevated platform, upon which the whole orchestra were assembled, and in front the head Pastor, Reiners (who was also contrebassist in the orchestra), who then adressed Spohr in a solemn and very impressive speech of welcome, at the conclusion of which the hall resounded with such an outburst of enthusiastic greetings, accompanied by music, that one might have thought it was filled with thousands of spectators. After this the Prince seated himself near Spohr, and to our great surprise and pleasure his splendid fifth symphony (C minor) fell upon the ear, and was performed throughout with the greatest finish and inspiration. During its performance the Prince evinced feelings of delight such as we had never yet witnessed, he could scarcely control himself; held Spohr constantly by the arm or hand, and not only whispered to him his admiration at every passage, but frequently gave expression to his feelings aloud....

When the Prince had ascertained whether Spohr would sup or not in the dining-room below, he gave orders for a place to be reserved for him next to Spohr, although, as sovereign Prince, he had never yet partaken of a meal in a tavern. This supper was most remarkable and amusing: besides the Prince, who sat between me and Spohr, and was very lively, the whole beau monde of Hechingen was assembled to see Spohr, and each ordered supper according to his own fancy. Gentlemen of the chamber, clergymen, councillors, and their wives, mingled pêle mêle, did and said a thousand humorous things, and evinced an extraordinary musical enthusiasm. Spohr also was greatly pleased to have made the acquaintance of this happy, music-mad little spot of Germany. Music, particularly that of Spohr, is everything here, and ladies and gentlemen know his symphonies and quartets in a manner such as very few in Cassel know them. If at eleven o’clock at night we had not risen to depart, in spite of the Prince, he would not have done so, for he is quite in love with Spohr. On the following morning before eight o’clock some one knocked again at our door, and his serene highness entered to enquire how we had slept in Hechingen. He then took us into the palace gardens and into the very pretty little palace itself, where we were to rehearse our trio for the music party that had been agreed upon for the evening. When we had played through the first part, he availed himself of the short pause to fetch his wife also, that she might share his pleasure, and thus we were saved the already arranged formalities of a court presentation.... We were invited to dinner at Täglichsbeck’s; but scarcely was the dinner over, than the Prince came again with two court carriages, in which the whole company drove to the charming country palace “Lindig,” the beautiful view round which filled us all, and Spohr especially, with the greatest delight....” Of the evening court-party that followed, the same letter says: “In a vaulted saloon built especially for musical performances a double quartet was first played by Spohr in a manner quite wonderful, then the Prince sang several songs with much expression, and at last came our trio. The company, consisting mostly of officials and of but few musicians, was in raptures of delight, and gave evidence in their remarks of much musical intelligence. At last supper was served up at small separate tables each accommodating four persons; at the chief table Spohr was shewn to a seat next to the Princess, who evinced great amiability and kindness towards him, while the Prince in the best of spirits was my neighbour.

Our departure was fixed for the following morning, but the Prince declaring that he could not yet part with Spohr, expressed the intention of accompanying him one post, and then of dining with us once more, and “not to appear egotistical, to enjoy the pleasure alone,” invited a whole party, who were to accompany us in his carriage. Two gentlemen were sent on in our carriage, to order a dinner for sixteen persons at the small town of Balingen three leagues distant.... During the dinner, which consisted of a great number of excellent dishes, and at which also the champaign, brought from the Prince’s cellars, was not wanting, the conversation was extremely lively and seasoned with many witty sallies, but always intermingled with the prominent sentiment of that musical enthusiasm, in which the Prince is really imbued to a singular degree.

At length however the long-deferred parting moment arrived! The cheerful voice grew silent, and a mournful stillness came over all; the Prince was quite beside himself; he embraced Spohr repeatedly, and when we had at length taken our seats in the carriage, he was once more surrounded by the company, and the Prince declared in the name of all that these days which had brought such happiness to Hechingen should be commemorated the following year by a festival.”

Carrying with him the most agreable recollections of the time they had passed there, Spohr and his wife now resumed their journey to Switzerland, the chief object of which was to enjoy the beauties of nature; but they were also enabled to combine therewith a visit to the musical festival which was about to take place at Lucerne. Although Spohr had declined the invitation which he had received at Cassel to direct at the festival, it afforded him nevertheless much pleasure to be present at it among the auditory. On the first day his oratorio: “Des Heilands letzte Stunden,” was performed in the fine church of St. Xavier, in which the solo parts were sustained chiefly by dilettanti, with the exception of that of Mary, by Mrs. Stockhausen, who had already acquired great celebrity in it at the Norwich festival, and all of whom sang “with truly angelic voices.” The choruses also, were excellent, and the orchestra only did not quite satisfy Spohr’s artistic expectations. The oratorio excited here also general enthusiasm, but the travellers missed here “the deep devotion, the christian-like comprehension and pious mental resignation,” which they had remarked in the English auditory of the year before. The oratorio was followed by a brilliant festal overture by Lindpaintner and another oratorio, the “Christi Himmelfahrt” (the Ascension), by Neukomm, at which the composer was also present, and was greatly gratified by Spohr’s approbation, who praised the choruses and the fugues. In the second concert, which was a miscellaneous one, the songs sung by Mrs. Stockhausen (mother of the recently celebrated baritone) were the points of attraction; but two distinguished dilletanti, doctor Ziegler and his sister, from Winterthur, were likewise much applauded in the duet from “Jessonda.”

On the return journey from Switzerland, Spohr stopped for a few days in Frankfort, in order to be present at the performance of Gluck’s “Iphigenia in Aulis.” The chief characters, Iphigenia and Agamemnon were ably represented by Miss Capitän and Mr. Pischek, and it afforded the more pleasure to Spohr to hear the noble simplicity of this fine music rendered in a satisfactory manner, as his repeated endeavours to introduce an opera of Gluck into the repertory of the Cassel theatre had been always unsuccessful, and he could not hope for any better success for the future.

Scarcely was Spohr returned to Cassel than he began with great zeal a new work, the plan of which he had conceived upon the journey, while in view of the magnificent Swiss mountains and lakes. When once more seated with his wife in the carriage, on his return from the Lucern musical festival, he told her with the greatest joy, that, inspired and refreshed with all the beautiful and pleasing impressions made upon him by nature and art combined,--he felt the strongest impulse to write a truly grand orchestral work, and if possible in some new and more extended form of the symphony. On the half-sportive reply which she made to him: “If the simple symphony does not give sufficient scope to your creative faculty, then write a double symphony for two orchestras, in the style of the double quartet,” he seized the suggestion immediately with much warmth and thereupon sank into a deep reverie, as though he were already beginning the composition, but soon after, added: that, exceedingly attractive as the problem was, it could only be successfully carried out if made subservient to the expression of a determinate idea--and that two orchestras should have given to them respectively the expression of a meaning and sentiment in strong contrast with each other. After long reflection and study; and after successive rejection of many self-proposed formulæ, he at length, as though by inspiration, seized the idea: to represent the two principles of good and evil in the human heart by the two orchestras, and to give the name to the double symphony of “Irdisches und Göttliches im Menschenleben” (the earthly and the divine in the life of man). The first subject should be called “Kinderwelt” (the world of childhood); the second “Zeit der Leidenschaften” (the age of the passions); the third “Endlicher Sieg des Göttlichen” (the final victory of the divine principle); besides which a special explanatory motto was to be given to each theme. After this manner the plan was conceived with a heart overflowing with pleasure, and then carried out with real enthusiasm. As regards the opinion respecting the degree of success with which he achieved the performance of so extremely difficult a task--that was of course a matter to be left entirely to the individuality of the hearers; but in the first performance of the work in Cassel under his own direction and in the spirit of its composer, it excited the greatest admiration in an attentively listening auditory; for while connoisseurs acknowledged the excellence of the music, apart from its special motive or subject, the feelings of the uninitiated were in a high degree moved and satisfied. Such is the report of it contained in one letter out of many written at that time: “Last evening Spohr’s new double symphony for two orchestras took place; the larger and more numerously filled orchestra represented the evil principle, the small one, consisting only of eleven solo instruments represented on the contrary the principle of good. In the subject “The world of childhood” the latter orchestra maintains the superiority in a marked and especial manner; sweet, innocent melodies bring back to us in the most enchanting manner the joys of childhood--its pretty sports, and wiles seem to rise before our vision, and we feel ourselves wholly wrapped in the bright dreams of the past; but the tones of the great orchestra remind us sorrowfully of the reality, and of the struggles of an earthly life scarcely yet begun. This subject, although gaiety is the prominent characteristic, yet speaks to us with a peculiar purity and tenderness of sentiment; and of a surety only a soul as pure and loving as that of our Spohr could so depict in tones the tenderness of the world of childhood.

The second subject: “The victory of the passions,” begins with a very beautiful soft duet between hautboy and clarinet (depicting the first awakening of love), then soon the two orchestras mingle, as it were, wildly and stormily, a true picture of the human heart in the contests of this life; now here now there, the small orchestra is carried away with it, but even then it does not wholly cease to intervene as the good genius with moving and at times warning tones of tenderness. This subject, which is very rich in ideas and harmonies, appeared most to carry away the mass of the public, but the deepest impression made upon every sensitive heart was that made by the third theme: “Eventual victory of the divine principle.” In this, the warning voice of the small orchestra becomes continually more impressive, the earthly passions for the most part become gradually subdued, one almost seems to feel how their force is broken, and then again at frequent intervals they seem to rally, until the solemn moment, in which after a general pause both orchestras at length, in solemn unison of accords announce the victory achieved by the good genius in all its power. From that point nothing but pious, pleasing sounds, as though from the realms of bliss, are heard, now alternately and now from both orchestras in unison, leading as it were the strangely-moved feelings of the auditory to the soft consolatory finale.”

Notices of a similar character--sometimes estimating the work from a purely human, at others from an artistic point of view were received from all sides after the appearance of the symphony, published as Op. 121, by Schuberth of Hamburgh; and then it soon became extensively circulated in the larger towns of Germany and England. This sufficed to afford Spohr the personal satisfaction, that in whichever way his intentions were considered, they were upon the whole rightly understood and estimated.

In November of the same year the Cassel musical world was thrown into a state of joyful excitement by the arrival of Lisst, who had gained the most enthusiastic applause in two concerts, which he gave in the theatre. Previous to his appearance in public, the more restricted circle of the lovers of music, had been greatly gratified by hearing him execute Spohr’s quintet for the pianoforte at a music party given by Spohr for his entertainment, at which he played also several of his own compositions in an insurpassibly masterly style. Spohr took the liveliest interest in the performances of his colleague in art, but he paid him the tribute of his highest admiration for his wonderful playing at sight; and in after years, as a proof of Lisst’s eminent talent in this respect also, he would cheerfully relate, how at a private soiree at Mrs. von der Malsburg’s, accompanied by Spohr on the violin, Lisst played his “Reisesonata” and his only just then published fantasia from the “Alchymist,” which was therefore wholly unknown to Lisst, but which to the great astonishment of all the auditory he played at sight with the most perfect finish.

On the 5th. December of this year the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Mozart was everywhere solemnized by the lovers of music; but as no public festival could be held in Cassel, Spohr got up a private performance of the society of St. Cecilia for the benefit of the poor, which was of a most solemn and impressive character. In the centre of the saloon the bust of Mozart, crowned with a laurel wreath, surmounted an altar hung with black drapery; on one side of the altar was assembled the numerous auditory, and on the other the singers in deep mourning. The “Ave verum” of Mozart was first sung; then a short oration in memoriam followed, and the conclusion was formed by the swan-song of the departed master, his immortal requiem.

In the beginning of the year 1842, Spohr composed six four part-songs, for soprano, alto, tenor and bass (Op. 120, published by Appel in Cassel), then his second trio for pianoforte, violin and violincello, which in the course of the year was followed by a third. These were published by J. Schuberth as Op. 123 and 124.

As during the winter Spohr had felt returning symptoms of his former liver-complaint, he availed himself this time of the summer vacation to go to Carlsbad, to drink the waters; but on the journey thither, at the pressing invitation of Mr. von Holleben, an acquaintance of his youth, and now, grand-master of the hunt at Rudolstadt, he paid him a visit. In the amiable family circle of his early friend the hours passed quickly and pleasantly in the retrospect of their youthful associations, and in the interchange of narratives and incidents of their later life; but amid all these, music was not wanting; and to hear it each time, an increased number of the lovers of music were invited. At these parties Spohr willingly played several of his newest compositions, and more especially afforded universal pleasure with the two trios, in which his wife took the pianoforte part. Upon these occasions he had more especially an enthusiastic auditress in the Princess von Bückeburg, who then resided in Rudolstadt, and who was very desirous of giving a fête at her own house in honour Spohr, had not Mrs. von Holleben, as she afterwards related with much triumph, following the example of the mayor of Norwich (whose comical proceeding towards the bishop of that place Spohr had previously narrated with much humour), declined in the name of her guests, although without previously enquiring of them, every invitation that they received.

During the succeeding month’s stay in Carlsbad, Spohr followed up most conscientiously the prescribed use of the baths and waters, and, besides the enjoined morning walks of several hours’ duration, he after dinner made more distant excursions into the beautiful and by him already previously so much admired environs. Between whiles, however, he managed to devote many hours to the study and practice of his noble art, playing assiduously with his wife, and charming the circle of his more immediate acquaintance with his play. He was forbidden, while taking the waters, to indulge even in a slight degree his constant impulse to the composition of something new; nevertheless during this time he composed a song: “Tears,” by Chamisso, which afterwards appeared in the “Album of Song” of Rudolf Hirsch (published by Bösenberg of Leipzic).

On his return to Cassel, Spohr was painfully moved by the intelligence of the approaching departure of his friend Hauptmann, who had accepted the proffered appointment of Cantor at the Thomas School in Leipzic. However heartily he might have rejoiced to see Hauptmann exchange his place in the court orchestra of Cassel for one so much more befitting and worthy of him, yet for the moment the sentiment of sorrow was the prominent feeling, he that would thenceforth be bereft of the society and intercourse of a man, who through a period of twenty years had stood so near to him both as friend and as colleague in art. As Hauptmann was an active and highly esteemed member of the St. Cecilia society, upon Spohr’s proposition, a farewell festival in his honour was given, at which the musical part of the entertainment consisted chiefly of Hauptmann’s compositions. But as Spohr was desirous of contributing at least one musical piece having especial reference to the occasion, he made choice of the pretty cantata composed by him for the “Golden Wedding” of his parents, which, with altogether new and appropriate words, inspired all hearers with the more interest as Spohr took upon himself the violin obligato part that formed the accompaniment to the pianoforte.

Towards the end of the year Spohr wrote a “concert overture in the serious style” (Op. 121, at Siegel’s, in Leipzic), which was performed at the first of the Casseler subscription concerts, and shortly afterwards at the Gewandhaus concert in Leipzic, and at both places produced the earnest and grandiose effect which the composer had in view. He next, at the repeated solicitations of publisher and friends, tried his hand at a species of composition which he had never till then tried, a sonata for the pianoforte alone, which after having accomplished to his satisfaction, he resolved to dedicate to his friend Mendelssohn. The latter having been made acquainted with it, wrote to him immediately and accompanied the expression of his thanks “for the high and distinguishing honour” with the following words: “If I could but express to you, how deeply I feel what it is to be thus able to call one of your works one’s own particular property, and how my heart joys not alone in the distinction conferred, but equally in your friendly thought of me, and your constant desire for my welfare. A thousand thanks to you for it, dear Mr. Kapellmeister, and rest assured that to the best of my ability I will endeavour to make my now obstinate fingers bring out the beauties of the sonata properly. But that is again only a pleasure that I shall be doing myself, and I should so like to render you one in return for it,” &c. The “obstinate fingers” must nevertheless have soon succumbed to the will of the master, for when upon a subsequent visit to Leipzic, Spohr had the gratification of hearing him play the sonata, it was everything he could have wished, and he recognised in such an execution the ideal which when composing it his fancy had conceived. Shortly afterwards, when it was brought out by Mechetti of Vienna, as Op. 125, and thereby became more widely known, Spohr received many gratifying notices of it from all sides. But he was especially taken by surprise on the receipt of a letter from Hungary, enthusiastic in admiration of the sonata, from the to him wholly unknown director of the choir, Seyler, of the Cathedral of Gran, in which he says among other things: “Times innumerable, in the hours when my duties permit me some relaxation, do I charm myself at the piano with that sonata you dedicated to Mr. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Carried away by the magic of its tones I now take up the pen, in behalf of all pianists of feeling who may not always have the opportunity to be enchanted by your greater musical productions, to render you the warmest thanks for this beautiful work.... I would moreover earnestly entreat you to let me know whether we pianists may encourage the hope of having such another composition, with which with two hands alone, we may discourse with the spirit of the world-famed German hero of musical science?” &c. Although this and many other similar testimonies might have fully removed Spohr’s former doubts as to whether he could contribute anything sufficiently satisfactory as a composer for the pianoforte, yet as may be readily imagined it was more in his interest to give his sole attention to the violin as concerted with pianoforte music; and his next works were six duets for pianoforte and violin (Op. 127), but which he could not finish and send in to his publisher Julius Schuberth of Hamburgh, who awaited them with much impatience, till after the lapse of several months, as just at that time he was more than usually occupied in perfecting his orchestra in the study of several larger works. He first of all wished to give Bach’s “Passion” on the coming Good Friday, and although, with the same intention he had previously rehearsed it several times with all the musical strength he could enlist in Cassel, yet years had since then elapsed; and it cost him a very great exertion of his patience and perseverance to bring his orchestra and singers up to such a pitch of excellence as to ensure the public performance of that extremely difficult music in a creditable and worthy manner.

After Spohr had toiled for long months in practising the choruses and the long-wished-for day of performance was drawing nearer and nearer, the required permission of the Prince was suddenly refused, without any reason being assigned for it; and it was not until a second application had been sent in, accompanied (to meet all eventualities) by a certificate of the clergyman, that he considered “the music selected for performance perfectly fitted for the church and for the day,” that the desired permission was granted; and that to the great satisfaction of Spohr and every lover of music in Cassel, it could be performed on the day appointed. But these obstacles repeatedly thrown in the way of its production were very nearly the cause of Spohr’s total departure from Cassel, for at that very time he again received from Prague a very advantageous offer of appointment there, respecting which he wrote as follows to his friend Hauptmann: “I am so weary of all the vexations I meet with here that even at my time of life I could almost make up my mind to leave this place, were not my wife so much attached to her family, and that she would be unhappy away from her friends. The opportunity now presents itself in an offer from the states of Bohemia of the post of director of the Prague conservatory of music vacant by the death of Dionys Weber, as an indemnifaction for the salary I should throw up here. Such a field for exertion and a residence in musical Prague would suit me well. But under the circumstances adverted to above I must of course decline it....” In Hauptmann’s very explicit reply to this he says among other things: “By Spohr’s leaving under the pressure of such existing circumstances, Cassel will become a desert as regards music,” but he nevertheless advises him to leave it without hesitation, and “will not yet relinquish the thought to see him move away from good, beautiful but oppressed Cassel, to majestic Prague.”

But as Spohr in the meanwhile had come to a decision, and of his own impulse allowed his kindly consideration for his wife and her parents to prevail with him, their daily intercourse having become with him also a pleasurable habit, he wrote back in his reply the following few but characteristic words: “The interest and sympathy, which breathes throughout your kind letter was most gratifying to me also in regard to the Prague business. But I had already made up my mind in the interim, and I am glad that my answer declining the offer had been sent to Prague, before my father-in-law knew anything about it, or with tears in his eyes could have to thank me for my decision....”--In this manner Spohr remained in Cassel, to which he had become attached as to a second home, and he continued to discharge his duties with his customary zeal.

He now again gave his attention to the study of a difficult work: “The flying Dutchman” of Richard Wagner, which Spohr proposed to himself to bring out as a festival opera for Whitmonday, having heard much in its praise from Dresden, and upon perusal of the libretto, which had been sent to him, had found the subject so satisfactory in every respect, that he pronounced it a little master-piece, and regretted, “not to have met with a similar and as good a one to set to music, ten years before.” When at the rehearsals he had become more closely acquainted with the opera, he wrote to Lüder respecting it, and invited him to the approaching performance in Cassel: “This work, although somewhat approaching the new-romantic music à la Berlioz, and although it has given me immense work on account of its extreme difficulty, interests me nevertheless in the highest degree, for it is written apparently with true inspiration--and unlike so much of the modern opera music, does not display in every bar the striving after effect, or effort to please. There is a great deal of the fanciful therein; a noble conception throughout, it is well written for the singer; enormously difficult it is true, and somewhat overcharged in the instrumentation, but full of new effects, and will assuredly, when it once comes to be performed in the greater space of a theatre be thoroughly clear and intelligible. The theatre rehearsals begin at the end of this week, and I am exceedingly desirous to see how the fantastic subject and the still more fantastic music will come off en scène. I think I am so far correct in my judgment, when I consider Wagner as the most gifted of all our dramatic composers of the present time. In this work at least his aspirations are noble, and that pleases me at a time when all depends upon creating a sensation, or in effecting the merest ear-tickling,” &c. Notwithstanding the apparent almost insurmountable difficulties, Spohr succeeded in giving one performance, which left nothing to be desired, and the work was most favourably received by the public. In full satisfaction to the author he felt impelled to write to Wagner to make him acquainted with it; upon which the latter in the fulness of his joy replied: “My very esteemed sir and master, I was really obliged to recover myself somewhat from the joy--from the rapture I may say--which your extremely kind letter afforded me, before I could undertake to write, and express to you the gratitude of my heart.... In order to enable you to understand the extraordinary emotion your intelligence produced in me, I must first calmly explain what were my expectations in regard to the success of this opera. From the unusually great difficulties which it presented I could expect but little from it, however good the musical and dramatic strength with which it might be put upon the stage, unless there was a man at their head who, endowed with peculiar energetic capacity and goodwill, would espouse my interests with predilection and in the face of every obstacle. That you, my highly-esteemed master, possessed beyond all others the qualifications for so energetic a direction, I well knew,--but whether you would consider my work sufficiently worthy of your attention to take so decided an interest in it, that was certainly the very natural doubt that made me despair more and more, the nearer the day of its announced performance approached; so that I confess I had not the courage to go to Cassel, to become personally a witness to my shame and to the realisation of all my fears. But I now see indeed that a lucky star has risen over me, since I have gained the sympathy of a man from whom an indulgent notice only would have been sufficient fame for me:--but to see him take the most decisive and crowning measures in my behalf, is a piece of good fortune which assuredly distinguishes me above many, and which really for the first time fills me with a sentiment of pride, such as hitherto no applause of the public could have awakened in me” &c. With equal gratitude and kindliness Wagner acknowledged the correctness of the omissions made by Spohr in the opera, in the which he “recognised but further proof of the true interest he had evinced for him,” and this he reiterated in all his subsequent letters with the warmest expressions of attachment and esteem.

With the commencement of the theatrical vacation, Spohr made preparations for the journey to London, where he hoped to receive satisfaction for the disappointment of the refusal of leave absence in the previous autumn, to proceed to Norwich to conduct the much-talked-of performance of his oratorio, “The fall of Babylon.” For months previously the committee had applied to that effect through the embassy at Cassel, to the Prince, but had met with a summary refusal, upon which Spohr received several letters from England, expressing how much they felt aggrieved by it, and lord Aberdeen especially, who had authorised the application to the Prince through the medium of the English embassy. Upon this the committee met in Norwich and sent a deputation to London to the duke of Cambridge, who expressed himself willing to write personally to the Prince in the most pressing terms. But without avail; after a lapse of two months his application was refused also, and both he and the whole royal family were not a little hurt by it. In Norwich, meanwhile, it was thought that every means had not yet been exhausted, and to Spohr’s extreme surprise he suddenly received an enormous petition signed by a considerable number of the inhabitants of Norwich, beseeching the Prince in the interests of that city to allow Spohr to direct his oratorio there. Although he himself had now little hope of a favourable issue to this prayer, he was nevertheless greatly moved by the receipt of so imposing a document, and awaited a reply with the greatest anxiety. This however did not come; but the Hessian minister for foreign affairs, von Steuber, wrote the following letter to the wife of Mr. von der Malsburg, grand marshall of the court, by whom the petition had been presented: “I have to announce to your Excellency that I delivered the petition in question, and urged personally all the circumstances detailed therein, but as you yourself feared, there is no hope of a successful result” &c.--

Although Spohr could not personally share in the triumph which this new oratorio achieved for him in England, he nevertheless received almost daily detailed epistolary accounts of the success of the festival, and at length also a whole box full of newspapers of every shade of politics, which seemed almost to vie with each other in expressions of admiration of his work. Of these, some few of the most conspicuous and characteristic in style of comment may here be cited: “The Times” says among other things: “The gem of the festival was Spohr’s oratorio. The text is written with especial regard to the nature and the character of an oratorio, and the subject which Spohr has illustrated by the exercise of his talent is especially favourable to its exhibition. Three nations are represented: the captive Hebrews, the luxurious Babylonians and the Persians in their pride of conquest: these furnish materials for the most varied musical treatment by the composer, of which he has availed himself in the most admirable manner, and thoroughly understood how to adhere throughout the music to the identity and nationality of the different nations. His peculiar genius for the invention of beautiful melodies, and his power to enrich these with appropriate harmonies is also preminently conspicuous in this splendid work.” After a detailed analysis of the separate “numbers” it is further said: “The general opinion of the oratorio is this: It is a master piece of art, worthy to rank with “Die letzten Dingen” and “Des Heilands letzten Stunden.” Emphatic as this praise may be, it is nevertheless just. Though from the same hand, the work is nevertheless essentially different from these. The former excite feelings of deep devotion and christian piety, in the latter we distinguish the character of the deity more in its majesty and omnipotence; Jehovah displays himself to us in acts of power by dooming the ungodly to punishment. The work fulfils all the conditions of a true oratorio, and its performance was a triumph of English art. One thing only was deeply and generally deplored, that Spohr was prevented from being present at this triumph.” In the Morning Chronicle, after similar enthusiastic expressions of opinion, follows: “In a word, the music is characterised by the whole power and peculiarity of Spohr’s genius, and we may boldly assert that it is the grandest work written since the days of Händel.”--The immense crowd that pressed forward to the hall to witness the performance is adverted to by all the papers, and the Morning Herald especially, speaks of it thus: “Although to hear Spohr’s oratorio an unusually numerous auditory was to be expected, yet no one could have formed an idea of what actually occurred. From an early hour in the morning carriages arrived in numbers, filled with the rank and beauty of the county.... The whole interior of the building was immediately filled; where a resting-place could be found for one foot only, fool-hardy individuals were to be seen located in the most dangerous situations, and every one seemed determined to endure the greatest inconvenience rather than forego the pleasure of hearing Spohr’s oratorio. Many persons clambered up to the roof, and from thence in at the window, but numbers were compelled to remain outside, and content themselves with looking down from their dizzy height upon the crowds below. This is no exaggeration, but strictly true; and that such a degree of interest should have been evinced for a new musical work, is certainly an event that stands alone in the history of music,” &c. While Spohr found at home a cheering distraction in these gratifying accounts, his admirers and friends in England were considering how to make him some compensation for his loss, and before the close of the year he received an invitation to London during his next vacation, to conduct his oratorio.

Upon Spohr’s arrival in London in June 1843, Professor Taylor, who had conducted his oratorio at Norwich, in his stead, and who had discharged that difficult task most creditably, had so far made all the preliminary preparations that after a few rehearsals, its performance could take place at the Hanover Square Rooms to his full satisfaction. The public also gave vent to their enthusiasm, with the most reiterated and demonstrative applause, and at the conclusion greeted him with three cheers. Nevertheless all those who had been present at the festival in the fine St. Andrew’s Hall at Norwich, were not by any means satisfied that Spohr had not been permitted to hear his work under equally favourable circumstances, in all its grandeur, and he received the invitation to direct a second grander performance, which the Sacred Harmonic Society were desirous of giving with their chorus of five hundred voices in the large concert-room of Exeter Hall. But as he had proposed to himself to devote the yet remaining week’s leave of absence to a journey to Wales, of the scenery of which he had heard so much spoken in praise, and as the time moreover appeared to him much too short for a careful study of his oratorio, he returned an answer declining the invitation. Upon subsequent pressing solicitation, nevertheless, and repeated conferences, he at length yielded, and it was then agreed that the requisite rehearsals should be made during Spohr’s absence, so that he would have nothing more to do than to take upon himself the direction of the performance, and meanwhile he could proceed undisturbed upon his projected journey. Highly necessary to him, also, was such a refreshing change of scene after the almost overwhelming fatigues of the musical entertainments and dinner-parties of the preceding weeks, at the greater part of which he himself took an active share in the performances. At the last concert of the Philharmonic Society, in which he directed the performance of several of his compositions: “Die Weihe der Töne,” the overture to the “Alchymist,” and the flower duet from “Jessonda,” but first himself executed his concertino in E major upon the violin, he was, as recorded by the “Spectator”--“welcomed like a Prince, the whole company rising spontaneously from their seats to salute him” ... and when he had concluded his artistic and indescribably charming play, the irrepressible outbursts of delight shewed how completely he had touched the heart-strings of his auditory. At the end of the concert the directors conveyed to him moreover the wishes of the queen, that he would play once more in an extra-concert to be given for that purpose. As he could not well refuse this, the concert took place a week afterwards, and comprised in its compendious programme among other things a symphony of Mozart, the ninth symphony of Beethoven, with the choruses, and three of Spohr’s compositions: concertino in A major, the overture to “Macbeth,” and Tristan’s air in “Jessonda,” in which Staudigl was twice encored.

Respecting the further circumstances of the concert a letter written home contains the following: “The extra-concert of yesterday was a very brilliant success, and afforded us high enjoyment. The appearance there of the Queen was an event of which all the newspapers and everybody also spoke beforehand with much interest; as since her coronation she had never yet appeared at one. When she entered the room, dressed in a plain black robe, but wearing a good many diamonds, the public clapped their hands and rose from their seats, upon which the soli and chorus sang “God save the Queen” with great effect. During the entre-acte, the Queen sent for Spohr to the adjoining apartment, where she discoursed with him for some time in a very flattering manner, and advised him during his further journey in England to travel incognito, otherwise in every town he would be annoyed and intruded upon in the same manner as in London. Prince Albert and the King of the Belgians entered also into conversation with him, and he was much edified by their remarks. Several persons whom we knew, who sat near the Queen, laid great stress upon the circumstance that upon Spohr’s appearance in the orchestra, she and her husband bowed very profoundly, and clapped their hands very warmly,” &c. At further music parties he experienced great pleasure in hearing his trios, quartets, airs and duets from his operas, and songs, executed with the most perfect finish, and was always much delighted with the wonderfully pure execution of the favorite English glees. Upon these occasions he was not at all disturbed by the enormous quantity of musical pieces which were brought forward, for with his inexhaustible nerve and power of endurance he was fortunately enabled to compete with the English.

As a curiosity of the kind the following programme may be adduced, of a musical festival got up by Mr. Alsager, then co-editor of the Times, in honour of Spohr:

Queen Square Select Society.

Musical Festival in Honour of the arrival of Spohr in London.

Sunday July 2, 1843.

Act. 1.

Double Quartet No. 1 Spohr. Quintet-Pianoforte, Flute, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon Spohr. Double Quartet No. 2 Spohr. Nonetto Spohr.

Déjeuner à la fourchette.

Act. 2.

Quintet Spohr. Ottetto Spohr. Double Quartet No. 3 Spohr.

To commence at 2 o’clock--Déjeuneur at 5-- Second act to commence at 7.

This festival, which was in every respect successful, and got up with princely magnificence, must have been the more gratifying to Spohr, when he saw how the company, consisting of fifty persons, listened until late in the evening with admirable perseverance and wrapped attention to his tones, without evincing the least sign of weariness. When gratified beyond measure by a festive testimonial so unusual, he felt called upon to express his very great thanks to Mr. Alsager, he found to his great surprise on the following day among the mass of letters which he constantly received, one also from him expressing his heartfelt thanks, which concluded as follows: “May you enjoy all the happiness that can result from the consciousness that you are a benefactor to the world and communicate happiness to others in a circle still increasing and never ending.”

Upon their pleasure trip on the 12th July Spohr and his wife were accompanied by Professor Taylor, in whom they found both a well-informed and amiable guide and companion. They visited Winchester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bath, Bristol and Wales. With the natural beauties of the latter Spohr was so much charmed that in many parts he considered them to surpass Switzerland, and all that he had ever seen. On the return journey to London, he was loud in his expressions of admiration of the beauties of Cheltenham, and of the fine university of Oxford. Though in accordance with the advice of the Queen he had thought to make this little journey incognito; nevertheless his arrival soon became known in each town, and the composer of “Die letzten Dinge,” the pianoforte arrangement of which he found in almost every house, was received by every one after his own manner, with the highest honours, upon which occasions many incidents occurred that either greatly amused or moved him. Meanwhile, in London, every possible exertion had been made, and upon his return, Spohr found that his oratorio had been studied with such faultless precision, that as he wrote word in a letter home “at the grand rehearsal he was really much moved both with its excellent execution, and the conviction that such a number of persons totally stranger to him, and for the most part engaged in business (who in London have indeed but little leisure time) should have devoted their evenings to a late hour, during his absence of eight days, to the study of this difficult work, from pure love of it, and to afford him an agreeable surprise.”

The performance itself is then thus described: “Imagine a gigantic hall with places for 3000 persons, crammed full, head above head; in a balcony apart, as the bill expresses it ‘Madame Spohr and Friends’ looking down upon the scene. Opposite the magnificent and stupendous organ and on all sides around it, an orchestra and choir of singers numbering five hundred persons, grouped in the most charming manner; in that orchestra Spohr enters, and at the same moment the whole public and orchestra rise from their seats, all waving handkerchiefs and hats and shouting long and loudly altogether “Bravo, Hurrah!” But no sooner did Spohr lift his baton than all sat down, and a deep silence of anxious attention reigned. Then resounded through the spacious hall the first moving accords of the overture, like music from another sphere. The whole performance proceeded now grandly and as though with one impulsive inspiration in all. A solemn thrilling emotion pervaded us, and at many powerful passages, such as “Er regiert auf ewig (he rules for ever) Hallelujah!”--“Du nur allein bist Gott” &c. (Thou, and Thou only art God),--then it was as though all mankind had assembled to praise God with the purest harmony. But doubly wonderful at such outbursts of powerful grandeur is the ever-recurring entry at the right moment of the tenderest shades of expression.... Three airs and the grand chorus of the Persians were encored with vehement acclamation. At the conclusion the people, at a loss to find a new and further way of expressing their rapture, demonstrated it more prominently by mounting at once upon the benches. When at length Spohr had made his way through the mass of those who pressed forward to shake hands with and congratulate him as he passed on to the door of the hall, I observed with astonishment that the whole company remained behind, and whispered to each other, which induced me to think something important was still to take place; when after a time the noise broke out anew and Spohr was again vehemently called for. Upon this two gentlemen led him back once more, and having informed him that the public much wished him to address a few words to them, he at length determined to do so, and made a short speech in ~German~, which although they did not understand, was very gratefully received by the assembly. Hereupon the President stepped forward, and having delivered a long address to Spohr in English, which was repeatedly interrupted by applause and cries of “Hear! hear!” he presented to him in the name of the company a large silver salver with a beautifully engraved inscription commemorative of the evening festival,” &c.--This solemn concluding scene crowned all that Spohr had yet experienced, and the sad moment of parting from hospitable England now approached. Spohr himself was painfully moved by it, although the earnest solicitations of every kind which poured in upon him, gave him little time for calm reflection. Daily from various quarters did he receive the blank sheets of albums with the request for some souvenir from his own hand, many of which yet awaited their execution and kept him occupied at his writing-table up to the time of his departure. After he had satisfied these last requests even, and at length embarked on board the steamer, he good humouredly remarked to the crowd of friends and admirers who had collected to bid him farewell: “There is now indeed scarcely a lover of music in England who has not my autograph,”--the steamer was hailed from the shore, and on looking in that direction he saw a boat rowing fast towards them, and shortly, several gentlemen came on board, bearing numerous albums that had arrived too late, with the entreaty that Spohr would write something in each during the journey down to Gravesend, whither they would accompany him with that view! Actually also, did Spohr comply, and writing, he left the shores of England, and so made the parting moments somewhat less painful to him!

* * * * *

Early in the month of October 1843, a meeting of the Philological Society was to take place in Cassel, and the generally expressed wish to honour the same with some musical performances was the more natural, from the means necessary thereto being more especially at command there. Upon Spohr’s recommendation the president of the society and Gymnasial-Director Weber proposed the performance of “Antigone” at the theatre, with Mendelssohn’s choruses; and Spohr expressed himself ready to comply with the wishes of the magistracy to give a performance of his oratorio: “Der Fall Babylons” in the church, for the benefit of the poor of the city. As, however, the permission of the Prince could not be obtained for both, the foreign guests were obliged to content themselves with a private performance of “Antigone” in the spacious hall where they held their sittings, upon which occasion Councillor Niemeyer read the tragedy, and the choruses were sung with accompaniment of two pianofortes by the singers of the men’s choral society under Spohr’s direction. In this manner all went off very effectingly, and the strangers were so well content that they not only expressed their most heartfelt thanks to Spohr for his exertions, but at their next sitting, (at which he assisted with much interest) unanimously voted also a letter of thanks to Mendelssohn. Spohr himself was also so much pleased with the spirited and truly original music “that he now exceedingly desired to hear it also with full orchestral treatment.” But as under the present overruling circumstances in Cassel this was not to be achieved, he shortly afterwards gave a repetition of the reading of the tragedy in the same manner, for a charitable purpose, but in a more spacious building, by which means a wider circle of the lovers of music were enabled for the first time to become acquainted with the interesting work.

About this time Spohr began to turn his mind seriously to the composition of another opera, which probably arose from the frequency with which the libretto of operas were sent to him. But as none of them satisfied him, and as upon a closer examination, either the treatment of the subject or the form of the musical pieces did not suit him, he conceived the idea of writing with the assistance of his wife the text of a libretto, and chose for subject the once favorite drama of Kotzebue: “The Crusaders,” which seemed to him particularly adapted to the object he had this time in view, namely, an entire deviation from the customary form, as well as from the style, of his own previous opera music; in composing the whole throughout as a musical drama, without unnecessary repetitions of the text and ornamentations, and with a constantly progressing development in the treatment. As soon as the libretto was completed, he set to work with great spirit, and in a short time completed the first act, which he immediately arranged for the pianoforte, and had performed in his house by a select number of the best dilettanti, in order to convince himself of the success of his work, before he proceeded further with it. When he became satisfied how clearly and intelligibly, even without the aid of scenic representations, the lifelike expression of his music depicted the different characters and situations, and how powerfully both singers and auditory were impressed by it, he proceeded with confidence with the next act, and finished that also, all but the instrumentation, before the commencement of the theatrical vacation.

As object of his customary summer journey Spohr had selected Paris, in order to shew his wife the grandeur of that brilliant capital, and to visit at the same time the international exhibition of industry, which, as the first of its kind, had so greatly excited public attention, that strangers from every quarter of the globe flocked to it to behold the endless treasures in every department of manufacturing industry, and to admire the products of art. With the daily concourse of the visitors it was however almost impossible to obtain an undisturbed and attentive view; it was therefore matter of no small self-congratulation for Spohr and his wife to receive a ticket of admission procured by especial favour upon a day that had been set apart for the King’s visit to the exhibition, when exhibitors only were permitted to be present. By this means they were also furnished with the rare opportunity of seeing the venerable Louis Philippe, accompanied by his wife, his sister Adelaide, and the then still very youthful Duke de Montpensier, pass close before them, and to hear distinctly the King’s remarks upon the various manufactures displayed.

At a season of the year so unfavourable for musical performances of any consequence, Spohr could scarcely hope to enjoy that gratification, but there, in a foreign land he had the unhoped-for satisfaction of an enjoyment he had vainly endeavoured to obtain at home, that namely of assisting at a performance of “Antigone” with Mendelssohn’s choruses, which on that evening had been given for the thirty-second time in succession at the Odéon theatre to constantly crowded houses, and Spohr was deeply impressed with the excellence of the music and of the scenic arrangements.

But although the best musicians were for the most part absent from Paris, he nevertheless passed some very pleasant hours in the society of Mr. Habenec (director of the conservatory), Panseron, Halevy, Auber, Berlioz, Adam, &c. On the part of the conservatory it was also greatly wished to shew him some mark of attention, although under the circumstances some difficulty was experienced in doing so, as appears from a notice in a Parisian journal, in the following words: “Mais que faire pour prouver à l’auteur de ‘Faust’ et de ‘Jessonda’ que la France sait apprécier dignement ses belles compositions et leur auteur? Une idée vient soudain à un ami de Mr. Habenec: ‘L’époque des magnifiques concerts du Conservatoire est passée! dit-il; eh bien! écrivons partout, réunissons une partie de nos artistes, et essayons de tresser une petite couronne à Spohr, en exécutant devant lui un de ses plus beaux morceaux.’ Le projet est approuvé, on n’avait que quelques jours pour le mettre en œuvre. Des circulaires sont adressées à vingt, trente lieues de Paris. Des hommes d’un talent supérieur, qui n’auraient pas quitté leur dolce far niente à prix d’argent, se hâtent d’accourir, et la Société des Concerts, à l’exception de deux de ses membres qui sont maintenant en Italie, se trouve réunie à Paris comme un seul homme. La salle du Conservatoire est ouverte, tons les exécutants s’y rendent, et Spohr y est amené comme spectateur unique; c’est pour lui seul que soixante-dix-huit musiciens sont là, c’est aux pieds de sa gloire qu’ils viennent se prosterner, et lui font entendre son chef-d’œuvre symphonique: ‘La création de la Musique’ (‘Weihe der Töne’).”

Upon Spohr’s entry into the room he was greeted with loud applause, and addressed in a speech by Mr. Habenec, who invited him to direct his symphony in person, as at the next winter concerts, the society intended to perform it, and it would therefore be of the utmost value to all, to be initiated by the personal direction of the composer himself into its mode of performance. In reality, also, many indications and repetitions were necessary upon the occasion, until every thing, went satisfactorily; but Beethoven’s pastoral symphony, which followed, and had been frequently played, was executed with that masterly precision for which that orchestra was so celebrated.

On the following day Spohr set out on his return to Cassel, which he again left after the lapse of a few weeks, to comply with an invitation from his native town of Brunswick, where they had long desired to give a grand musical festival in his honour, and had therefore made arrangements to have a performance of his oratorio the “Fall of Babylon,” at the end of September.

On his way thither he received a foretaste of the Brunswick festivities, at Seesen, where he slept the first night, and where he had passed the first years of his childhood; the inhabitants of that place having been thereby induced to believe that it was really his birth-place. He was greatly surprised at being welcomed immediately upon his arrival here with a kind and most hearty address and ushered with much ceremony into the handsomely decorated grand room of the hotel, where he found disposed in a wide semicircle, symmetrically arranged, a selection from all the musical talent of the young folks of Seesen, with the members of the choral society of that place; who, besides singing several songs, executed a chorus from “Die letzten Dingen” and a pleasing poem composed especially for the occasion, addressed to Spohr, and arranged for four voices.

Brunswick was no less demonstrative in celebrating the presence of its illustrious guest, and detailed notices of an impromptu festival given to Spohr are furnished by several letters, in which the brilliant external display, as well as the expressive and appropriately arranged musical entertainment, appealed with equal force and charm to the heart and mind. A cantata set to music by Methfessel for female voices and chorus, “Welcome to Spohr,” was first sung, with a soft accompaniment of wind instruments placed out of sight in the background, and executed by them in the most finished manner. But scarcely had the guest so honoured time to express his thanks at the conclusion of this pretty song, when quite unexpectedly, and in striking contrast with it, a powerful chorus of male voices from the opposite side of the hall began a second “festive song to Spohr,” which prepared the minds of all for the enjoyment of the subsequent more exhilarating festivities.

On the following day Spohr directed the performance of his oratorio: “The fall of Babylon,” in the Ægydian church, which was here also executed with great spirit, and was well received. The circumstance that its performance took place in the same church in which more than 60 years before he was baptised as an infant greatly increased the interest of the day, and gave occasion to several other poetic effusions.

A grand concert of a mixed kind concluded the festivities of the day; the first part of which comprised the overture to “King Lear” by Berlioz, directed by Kapellmeister Müller, airs from “Oberon” and “Jessonda” an adagio for violin by Spohr, executed by concert-director Müller, and Maurer’s concertante for four violins (played by Müller, Zimmermann, C. Müller jun. and Jean Bott of Cassel); the second part consisted of Spohr’s fifth symphony, C minor. Thus ended this pleasing festival, the heartfelt pleasure at which was alone saddened to Spohr by thoughts of his beloved father, who, up to the few months preceeding his death in Brunswick had passed the last years of his life in Seesen, but who, after watching for years at a distance the career of his son with pleasurable pride, could now no longer be a witness of the high esteem and honour shewn to him by his native town.

At the end of the year Spohr received an invitation to a grand musical festival at New-York--the first from that side of the Ocean, to the direction of which he had been unanimously selected at a general meeting of the society of music of that city, “as the first of all living composers and directors of music.” There were to be two performances of sacred and two of secular music, and above all his oratorio of the “Fall of Babylon”--“the fame of which had spread from England to the new world,” was to take precedence. Although such a proposal might have had great attractions for Spohr, and have yet more incited his constant love of travel; and although in New York he would have moreover the pleasure of seeing again his daughter Emily, who with her husband and child had emigrated there some years before, yet he soon made up his mind to decline it, as a residence there of the few weeks only which the duties of his place would have perhaps permitted, would scarcely have compensated for the fatigues of a long voyage.

On New Year’s Day 1845, Spohr’s new opera, “The Crusaders,” was performed for the first time; and not only upon the first night, but upon the quickly succeeding further performances, it met with an unexampled brilliant reception for Cassel. Spohr, who had looked forward with particularly anxious expectation to the success of this work, was much gratified at this result, and wrote to his friend Hesse as follows: “That my opera should have made so deep and lasting an impression upon the public, the lesser number of which only consisted of musically educated persons, I ascribe to the truthful character of my music, which aims only at representing the situation perfectly, and discards all the flimsy parade of modern opera-music, such as florid instrumental soli and noisy effects.[39] And I was furthermore exceedingly pleased that the singers, who did not find in their parts anything of that which usually gains for them the applause of the crowd, evinced nevertheless at every rehearsal a greater interest in it, and a zeal to study such as I never before observed in them. But the result shews also, that this style of song, which is so convenient for every one, and affords the opportunity of displaying the best tones, and the degree of feeling and expression which each is capable of, is a very grateful one; for never were our singers so applauded, and after the second performance they were all called for together on the stage.” The newspapers having circulated a great deal in praise of the new opera, and it having become more extensively known by the pianoforte arrangement which was shortly afterwards published by J. Schuberth, it was soon announced for performance at other theatres in Germany, viz. at Berlin, Dresden, Brunswick and Detmold; but in other (catholic) cities, like Munich, Vienna &c., objection was taken to the libretto, which had been asked for examination, and therefore the performance was abstained from.

[39] To similar observations in a letter to Hauptmann he adds: “I could not make up my mind to write one unnecessary note for the sake of brilliancy.”

As Spohr was invited to direct personally the first performance of his “Crusaders” at Berlin, he was desirous that this should take place during his theatrical vacation; and although he was apprised from there that it was the most unfavourable season of the year for it, as the chief characters of his opera could not be satisfactorily represented till after the return of the absent principal singers, he nevertheless though it more advisable to do without their assistance, than by a longer delay to make the possibility of his coming a matter of uncertainty.

At the beginning of the holidays he therefore set out on the journey, but first to Oldenburg, to direct a grand concert there, the receipts from which were destined for the institution of a pension fund for the members of the orchestra there.

The programme had been previously cast by A. Pott, the resident director, his former pupil and enthusiastic admirer, and consisted wholly of Spohr’s compositions, viz. concert overture in the serious style; latest violin concerts in E minor, executed by the composer; duett from “Jessonda” sung by Mrs. Schmidt of Bremen and Mr. **; clarinet concerto, played by Mr. Köhn, member of the ducal orchestra; grand symphony in C minor (No. 5); the “Lord’s Prayer,” for solo, chorus, and orchestra.

Upon Spohr’s arrival he found the whole of the musical pieces (the last two of which he himself directed) so well practised under Pott’s direction, that at the rehearsal he was greatly pleased by it. At the public performance, also, every thing went off so well, that Mrs. Spohr expresses herself in a letter home as follows: “We felt as though we had been suddenly transported to England. The music, the finished execution, the spacious, densely filled, and splendidly acoustic building, the enthusiastic applause and admiration--all were in truth grandly English. And all this was doubly surprising and gratifying when one thinks that this took place in a small town with a population of only 12,000. Orchestra and singers, three hundred persons in all, worked together with wonderful harmony. Every piece of music was excellent, but the impression made by the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ was quite indescribable, and the words in which Pott shortly before expressed himself to Spohr, after a rehearsal of it: ‘Happy is the man who can pray with such intense devotion; peace must indeed dwell in his soul,’ presented themselves here in their full import to my mind. Spohr, also, was of my opinion that he had never heard the piece so well played, for even in the finest shades of the expression there was nothing more to be desired. The whole platform from which Spohr led the orchestra, and the steps leading to it, were strewn with the finest roses; the whole front of the orchestra was decorated with wreaths; and beneath his bust, crowned with laurel, were the words ‘Louis Spohr’ in gigantic letters, composed of roses and laurel artistically interwoven. While the assembly were listening with the deepest attention to the splendid tones, it was little imagined by any one how every enjoyment was embittered to Spohr, by a sudden seizure with cramp in the stomach, which soon became so intense, as he himself afterwards related, that when conducting the symphony and the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ he had great difficultly in keeping himself erect. After the concert we were to have assisted at another fête, given by the minister von Beaulieu at his house, in honour of Spohr; but under the circumstances this became impossible, and we hastened home with all speed, where, having arrived, Spohr went immediately to bed, and was obliged to resort to sedatives; but the cramp would not yield to them, and the doctor who was called in, vainly endeavoured to afford him relief, so that the pain became intense. At this very moment when Spohr lay in such a sad condition of suffering that he expected every moment would be his last, a singular and striking contrast was presented to his position, by a monster torch-light procession followed by a large concourse of the inhabitants of Oldenburg, which halted under our windows, and began a grand serenade with the overture and several choruses from ‘Jessonda,’ performed by all the native and foreign musicians then in Oldenburg, together with three choral societies. Many other pieces were to have been performed, but by Spohr’s wish, Pott availed himself of the opportunity when a loud cheer was raised by the crowd, to address them in his name from the window in a speech of thanks, which, although improvised, was as well put together and delivered as though he had long previously studied it. But when he acquainted them with Spohr’s illness also, a general depression spread immediately through all present, and the previously so joyous assembled serenaders, withdrew in silent sadness. In our house, meanwhile, all was remarkably lively: the hostess, Mrs. Oppermann, wife of the Councillor Oppermann of the high court of appeal, was entertaining two carriage-loads of guests who had come to the concert, together with all her acquaintance, who had assembled below to be enabled to hear the serenade music better. In strange contrast with these intervened the various attendances to the necessities of our patient, the messages to the apothecary, my agony of mind--in fact, it was a situation singular indeed of its kind.

“At midnight the physician came again, wrote some new prescriptions, and gave fresh instructions, but all in vain; the attacks of the cramp lasted till near 3 o’clock, when they became at length less violent, and by degrees entirely ceased. But as the doctor was of opinion this morning that the motion of the carriage might be prejudicial to the invalid, we have deferred our departure, and the more so, as we could be nowhere better off than here, where we receive the kindest attention and care from the whole household, and everything that the heart can wish is at our service. To-day, Spohr received from the Grand-duke a splendid diamond ring as a ‘souvenir of Oldenburg,’ which greatly surprised and pleased him. The Grand-duke had intended to place the ring himself on his finger at the dinner to which he had invited him, but this also was defeated by the illness that overtook him,” &c.

Spohr having determined by the advice of the physician to proceed as soon as possible direct from Oldenburg to the baths of Carlsbad, and devote the remainder of his vacation to the re-establishment of his health by drinking the waters, he thought he should no longer be able to fulfill his promises--to direct his “Jessonda” at Bremen, and the first performance of the “Crusaders” at Berlin--wherefore with a heavy heart he sent off letters announcing his inability to proceed to those places.

Meanwhile, however, the remarkable efficacy of the Carlsbad waters, which he had already several times experienced, evinced itself again upon him in so satisfactory a manner, that in the very first week of his stay the idea suggested itself to him, to remain for the present but a fortnight only in Carlsbad, and defer following up the cure of its waters to the following summer, so that his so unwillingly abandoned purpose of proceeding to Berlin might yet be carried out. In this hope he continued the course of baths with such unwearied perseverance and unswerving confidence that he was enabled to reach Berlin in sufficient time to assume personally the direction of his “Crusaders.”

At the first grand rehearsal, in which he was introduced by Meyerbeer and Councillor Küstner to the assembled company of the theatre, he became convinced that his work had been studied with particular pleasure and predilection, and the song parts, although not filled by stars of the first magnitude, were nevertheless impersonated, as regarded the chief and secondary characters, in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. On the evening of the performance he was received upon his appearance with the greatest enthusiasm by the public, and loudly called for after every act. On the following night the opera was repeated with the same brilliant success. The public papers contained also the most favourable notices of each, and the “Vossische Zeitung” especially gave an article from the pen of Rellstab to this effect: “We have to speak of an event in art that will occupy one of the most prominent and honourable places in the history of our stage--the first performance of Louis Spohr’s new opera, “The Crusaders.” The merits of the master have already made themselves so prominently conspicuous, and the worth of that which we possess in him is so fully acknowledged, that it is not necessary even to speak of the character of his music nor of its effects upon the development of art in the present day.... What we had to expect as a whole, every body knew who knows the artistic direction of Spohr’s genius--and who does not know it? That we should hear a work that might be ranked with the noblest of the kind to which the composer has adhered throughout his whole life, was to be expected. But we must frankly confess, we had not dared to hope for so much freshness, so many instances of fiery power, as the now more than sexagenarian master actually gives us! Throughout the whole, he is the same we have long known; but in many circumstances of the detail he presents us with numerous gifts of new and finished excellence--and also of frequent brilliancy. His muse has never addressed herself to the crowd: she never sought to seduce by coquettish and alluring advances; her language, her movements have been alone animated by a noble spiritual inspiration, and sought to win the heart by purity and dignity. We had at first intended to indicate the most prominently beautiful passages, which we consider it just to particularise; but we soon found them so numerous, that we were compelled to content ourselves with a selection. In the first act we recall to mind the singular freshness of Baldwin’s greeting; Emma’s devout song: “Dass ich die Braut des Himmels bin,” the effective and ominous mingling of the tolling of the funeral bell in the discourse with the porteress; the first strong physiognomic delineations of the abbess Celestina, in the words: “Ich kenne Dein Geschlecht--Dein Schicksal führt Dich her;” we remember some features that designate the same character and its impassioned ebullition, as: the soft transition of the orchestra after the words: “Ihr sollt das Mädchen lieben;” and the subsequent words: “Gerichtet hat ihn Gott!--die Mutter weint,--die Tochter büsst,--dem Todten sei verziehen;” which are of the deepest and most impressive effect from their musical treatment.--The march of the Saracens in this act is also of most original colouring, and recurs again in the third act, where it is connected with that which has gone before, and is handled in so startling and beautiful a manner in the orchestra, that the public expressed their delight at the return to it there by a general outburst of applause.--If we cite fewer passages in the subsequent acts, it is not that these were poorer, but not to weary the reader’s patience with the enumeration of individual parts; and indeed the power of the music increases with the interest of the subject treated. The recognition scene between Balduin and Emma, Balduin’s threat at its conclusion, and the whole finale of the second act, form striking moments, which always ensure the admiration of the hearer. In the third act, the duet between Balduin and Bruno is a fine master-piece of music, and the conclusion, the despair of Balduin, replete with energetic force, and instrumented in a truly powerful manner. The battle chorus of the Turks, from its prominent difference of colouring, excited the enthusiasm of the auditory, who followed the conformity of the opera well sustained throughout from that part to the end, with the most lively interest.... We must also acknowledge the zeal of all the performers.... But no less are thanks and honour due to the public! They have this time shewn themselves fully sensible of their office of judge and reward-giver, and gave that unremitting attention to the work throughout which is most expressive of the admiration and interest it awakened. Scarcely any fine passage passed unnoticed by more or less warm demonstrations.... The day thus terminated in a triumph for long years of meritorious services, and in a day of honour for this particular work, which bears witness to the wealth in artistic riches possessed by the composer, and in what sure keeping and governance they are in the hands of our highly esteemed master;” &c.--Passing over other similar notices, a criticism (signed H. T.) may be adverted to here, for its strikingly harsh contrast with the former; overflowing with dissatisfaction and every kind of reproach of this opera, and which although not among the other papers now before us, is still remembered by the family as one that greatly surprised them by its contents. In cases of this kind Spohr always laughed at the angry zeal of his friends, affirming that every one had a right to express his personal opinion freely, but at the same time with the remark: “When a piece of music is really good, no reviling critic can take from it an atom of its merit!”--

Though the brilliant success of this opera, which Spohr had written under circumstances of particular predilection, constituted the most important moment of his eight days’ visit to Berlin, he passed the previous and subsequent days in the most agreeable manner in the amiable family circle of Professor Wichmann. But not alone in the hospitable reception accorded him and his wife, which afforded them all the delights of a charming domesticity, did Spohr experience the highest gratification; for from other quarters also marks of attention were shown him yet more demonstrative of the honour in which his genius was held.

Especially gratifying as were to him the attentions of his colleagues in art, Meyerbeer, Taubert, Hub. Riess, and others, he was not insensible to the tribute of acknowledgment paid to him by the King; and the honour of an invitation to the royal table was yet more enhanced in worth to him, from its being communicated to him at the King’s request in a personal visit from the celebrated Alexander v. Humboldt. Of this royal dinner party, at which, besides Humboldt, Tiek, v. Savigny, and other personages of note were present, who emulated with each other in pleasing and intellectual conversation with the King and Queen, Spohr always spoke with much pleasure in later years. More especially, however, he would recur to the following amusing incident:

Between the King and Spohr, who was seated opposite to him, rose an ornamental centre-piece of considerable height, in the shape of a costly flower-vase, which whenever the King was desirous of addressing his conversation to Spohr, greatly interfered and prevented him from seeing his face. Upon each occasion, the King was obliged to stoop in order to look round the inconveniently intervening object, until growing impatient, after having made several signs to the servants to remove it, which they appeared not to have understood, the King seized it with his own hand, and removing the obtrusive ornament procured for himself an unimpeded view across the table to Spohr.--On the last evening, while the Wichmann family and their guests were seated in the illuminated garden saloon in friendly chat, they were greatly surprised by the sudden entry from the obscurity of the garden of several dark figures, which were followed by a constantly increasing number, until the whole of the members of the royal orchestra, with Meyerbeer and Taubert at their head, assembled, upon which the senior member presented Spohr with a beautifully executed golden laurel-wreath, while Meyerbeer, in a speech of much feeling, thanked him “for all the grand and beautiful things which in his enthusiastic love of true German art he had hitherto created, and especially for this his excellent work, “The Crusaders,” &c. This discourse upon the evening of his taking leave, spoken with warmth and sincerity by such a man, could not fail to make a deep impression upon Spohr and every person present, and it was followed by a silence the most profound; until professor Wichmann, who was the first to recover his self-possession, approached Meyerbeer, and to the just praises conveyed in his excellent speech, replied with much humour in the words: “Positively, Demosthenes was a mere stump orator in comparison to you!” at which the cheerful tone of the company was magically restored, and Spohr then returned thanks in a concise yet feeling manner. Besides this handsome present from the royal Berlin orchestra, he took back with him to Cassel another souvenir of his stay there, viz. his own bust executed by professor Wichmann, which on account of its speaking resemblance and artistic excellence has always been greatly admired both by connoisseurs and the general public.

Scarcely had Spohr returned to Cassel than he was again upon the move, and this time to Bonn, where on the 11th. of August the inauguration of the monument to Beethoven was to be celebrated. To the invitation that had been sent to him many weeks before, to conduct a portion of the musical performance upon the occasion, he had at first, it is true, replied declining it, as a special leave of absence would have been necessary for him to proceed thither, and after having already applied for one the year before to direct the Brunswick musical festival, he did not like to make a similar application so soon. It was however shortly announced to him in a second letter, that the committee of the festival having been informed that the Prince was then staying at Cologne for a few days, they had despatched a deputation thither to invite him and the Countess Schaumburg to the approaching ceremony in her native town of Bonn, and to solicit at the same a leave of absence for Spohr, which had been graciously granted. As no further obstacle now intervened, Spohr lost no time in proceeding thither, to lend his personal assistance at the grand festival, which had drawn together from far and near the musical youth of Germany, to do honour to the great master whose memorial was to be inaugurated.

Of the festivities preceding and subsequent to the uncovering of the statue--the launching of the steam-boat “Ludwig van Beethoven,” the excursion to Nonnenwerth, the grand procession, the pyrotechnic display, illumination, banquet and ball--all these things have been so frequently described verbally and in writing by many who were present at the festival, that we will here only concisely advert to its musical features.

In the first grand concert Beethoven’s mass in D major and the ninth symphony were performed under Spohr’s direction, and as the published accounts of the festival express it, “both these works, which present very great difficulties, were performed with the most finished execution, so that this concert alone, combined with the sight of the hall in which it took place, was well worth the journey to Bonn.” On the following day, Beethoven’s grand mass in C major was performed at the celebration of divine service in the minster church, and upon the uncovering of the statue a festive cantata by Breitenstein was performed under his direction. At the second grand concert in the hall Spohr, by the desire of Lisst, again directed a part, while the services of the latter, as an active member of the committee, being continually required in various departments, with the exception of his performance of Beethoven’s pianoforte concerto in E major, he confined himself to the direction of the C minor symphony and some “numbers” of the Fidelio. The third, so-called musicians’ concert, was subjected of a necessity to many changes of the fourteen pieces of which its programme consisted, as, besides the Princes who were already arrived, the King and Queen of Prussia, the Queen of England with her consort, and other exalted personages were expected at the solemnities of the inauguration of the statue, and Lisst did not like to begin his festive cantata before their arrival. But it became at length necessary to make a beginning, and scarcely was the first “number” of Lisst’s cantata concluded, than the royal personages made their appearance, and the assembled company saluted them with the national-hymn: “Heil Dir im Siegerkranz;” after which Lisst had the whole cantata repeated; upon the conclusion of which it was left to the two Queens to make the selection of the next musical-pieces which were to be performed in their presence. It was thus, that not only the pieces of the programme were changed from their announced order of succession, but several of the pieces were necessarily wholly omitted on account of the delay that had thus occurred; and the musical part of the festival was brought to a termination in a somewhat unsatisfactory manner, and without a real and proper conclusion in the opinion of a majority of the auditory. A chosen few, however, among whom was Spohr, received an invitation to the grand court concert, given by the King of Prussia in honour of his exalted guests at his palace of the Brühl, in the neighbourhood. Meyerbeer directed, and the programme consisted, with the exception of some pianoforte-pieces performed by Lisst, of song-pieces only, sung by the most eminent vocalists, Messrs. Mantius, Pischeck and Staudigl, with Mdmes. Lind, Garcia and Tuczek.

After a summer so busily occupied, and in which Spohr was deprived of all leisure for composing, the impulse to write something new was awakened but the more strongly upon his return to Cassel, and several instrumental compositions followed each other in quick succession, to which style of art, since the termination of his opera, his whole mind again more especially addressed itself. About this period he wrote his 15th. violin-concerto (E minor, Op. 128, published by Schuberth), which he first played at the subscription-concerts in Cassel, and in July 1845 at the previously mentioned musical festival at Oldenburg, and then in commemoration of that event dedicated it to Poll the music director of that place. This was followed by the sixth quintet for stringed instruments (E minor Op. 129, published by Breitkopf & Härtel); and in the course of the winter by a quintet for pianoforte, two violins, viola and violincello, in D minor (Op. 130, published by Schuberth); the 30th. quartet for stringed instruments (Op. 132, published by Breitkopf); and a quartet concerto for two violins, viola and violincello, with orchestra--the latter of which was played at the next subscription concerts, and by the addition of the rich instrumental accompaniment proved especially adapted as a simple quartet for performance at a concert in a spacious building. Before it had appeared in print (Op. 130, at Schuberth’s), it was sent for from London and Vienna, and especially asked for at Leipzic, at which place the directors of the Gewandhaus concerts were always extremely desirous of being able to announce in their programme a new composition in manuscript by Spohr. Such upon this occasion was also the sentiment of M. Hauptmann in a letter to Spohr: “Everything coming from you, old or new, always finds the most favourable reception here: one can easily judge from the applause whether a thing merely pleases, or whether it makes a deep pleasurable impression, and that is always the case with your things. Either song or instrumental music of yours is always listened to with real predilection, the concert-loving public finds itself then in an atmosphere that suits it; and in this manner also the quartet concerto (with the execution of which I was not altogether satisfied) met with a very warm approval. To my mind it is perfectly Spohrisch, i. e. as masterly, as it is replete with feeling: the great difficulties attending such an undertaking are not in the least perceptible when listening to it, and as in your double quartets, the greatest clearness is always apparent in the most scientific combinations, which cannot always be said of other compositions that overstep the limits of the ordinary; that is, what the initiated understand and consider as high art, but which the mere hearer of feeling finds pleasing and which put him in good humour,” &c. The correspondence upon these subjects was chiefly conducted by Mendelssohn, who also made the proposition to introduce the third act of the Crusaders as a whole, in one of the concerts there, and afterwards announced to Spohr, who was of opinion that this opera in particular was not very suited to the purpose, his entire satisfaction: “The first time I saw your work in Berlin, the third act appeared to me the most spirited, and finest in the whole opera, and I was convinced that it would be very effective in a concert. You seemed to doubt it, and therefore I am the more pleased that yesterday’s performance of it made so great an impression, which, to judge from the attention of the auditory, the applause and their observations, appears to me very evident... The chorus was about two hundred strong, and the hymn in H major, the chorus for male voices in C major, and then the scene in the convent, sounded wonderfully fine. A thousand hearty thanks for this enjoyment, and for all the many beautiful things for which we are indebted to you.... Unfortunately I was not able so to manage that the direction of this concert would fall to me; but it went so well under Gade, and he had made himself so well acquainted with the whole work, that even you would scarcely have desired more,” &c.

In striking contrast with these friendly words of acknowledgement from so competent a judge, a circumstance occurred about the same time, which from being considered by Spohr himself as the only one of the kind throughout his long musical career, may not be undeserving of special mention here. Though the opera of the Crusaders had been sent by special request to Dresden for performance there, upwards of a twelvemonth, it had never yet been put upon the stage; and during that time the directors Reissiger and Wagner, as also the celebrated tenor Tichatscheck, for whose splendid voice the part of Balduin seemed almost purposely written, had repeatedly expressed by letter their pleasure with the work, and their regret at the constantly recurring delays, which deprived them of all hope of Spohr’s proceeding there to direct it--when suddenly, to his great astonishment, the score, not a little worn and defaced, was sent back from Dresden, without honorarium, and even without the libretto, to which Spohr had with much trouble appended many remarks and directions in writing; accompanied only with a letter from the manager, Mr. von Lüttichau, the very unsatisfactory contents of which may be inferred from the following accidentally preserved copy of Spohr’s reply:

“Your Excellency’s letter of the 15th. inst. has very much surprised me. I never could have believed, after my long, and I think I may say honourable, career as a musician, that I should have lived to experience the indignity to have the score of one of my works--not sent in as the first essay of a beginner for examination and trial, but ordered by previous application--sent back to me in such a manner. What you are pleased to assign by way of explanation or excuse for so strange a proceeding, I cannot possibly accept; for it was no fault of mine that the opera was not brought out at the appointed time, and both soon enough and frequently enough had I drawn attention to the circumstance that I could obtain no leave of absence out of my vacation time. How the opera, which is known by nobody in Dresden, should now have lost the charm of novelty I can as little understand, as that the contents of the opera, which were already known to you when you ordered it, should now all at once be found objectionable, while here and in Berlin, it has not met with the least objection in its present form, nor formerly, when performed in the shape of a play throughout Germany. Had your excellency felt any anxiety lest the opera would not remunerate for the time given to its study, and the expenses it might entail, you could assuredly have found some relief for your doubts in the many numerously attended performances which have already taken place here, in Berlin, Brunswick, &c. It is difficult for me also to conceive how the work of an old experienced composer should be rejected by a theatre which does not disdain the rapid works of beginners and dilettanti such as .... and .... The insult that has been offered to me is therefore wholly inexplicable, and I must console myself with the reflexion, that it is the only one of the kind offered to me during my long career as a composer, and I congratulate myself that I am not under a theatrical directorship which so little understands how to respect the feelings of a veteran artist,” &c. To this a reply was received from the vice-manager, K. Winkler, who at the request of Mr. von Lüttichau, expressed his regret that the return of his score, which had become necessary, should have so much offended Spohr, assuring him furthermore, that the chief reason for it was the words and subject of the opera, during the ecclesiastical excitement.

But that Spohr’s view of the matter was not much changed by this attempt at exculpation is evident from a letter he wrote to Richard Wagner, in which he opens his whole mind to him, and having first expressed his disappointment that Wagner’s opera “Tannhäuser,” which he had proposed to the Prince to have performed in celebration of his birth day, had not received the official sanction, he avails himself of the opportunity to detail fully to him the incomprehensible conduct of the Dresden theatrical directorship. Wagner, who then first was made acquainted with all the particulars, gave expression to his anger thereat, in so plainspoken a manner, that the publication of his letter, highly interesting as it is, would perhaps be unadvisable. After the prospect of a meeting with Wagner in Dresden had been dispelled in so vexatious a manner, Spohr proposed to him a rendez-vous at Leipzic, where he intended making a stay of a few days on his contemplated journey with his wife to Carlsbad. As Wagner seized the idea with much pleasure, the long desired personal acquaintance was at length made with the greatest mutual satisfaction, and letters addressed to the family at home speak among other things of this meeting, and other interesting circumstances that occurred during their stay there:

“We are passing our time here most delightfully, and enjoying a very feast of the finest music. On the very first evening we had a music party at Hauptmann’s, where trios by Mendelssohn and Spohr, in which each master took part, were played; and the company, consisting chiefly of connoisseurs in art, were highly delighted indeed. On the following day a very charming dinner-party was given at Wagner’s suggestion, who has himself no means of entertaining friends at Leipzic, by his brother-in-law, Professor Brockhaus, in honour of Spohr. We there made the acquaintance of his sister and several others of his relatives, all of them most intellectual creatures, and enjoyed ourselves greatly. Besides the members of the family, Heinrich Laube, the author, and his very learned wife, were present, who gave a yet more lively impress to the conversation. We were most pleased with Wagner, who seems every time more and more amiable, and whose intellectual culture on every variety of subject is really wonderful. Among other things he gave expression to his sentiments on political matters with a warmth and depth of interest that quite surprised us, and pleased us of course the more from the great liberality of feeling he displayed. We passed the evening most delightfully at Mendelssohn’s, who did his utmost to entertain and please Spohr. This family has for me something very idealistic about them, they present a combination of inward and external features, and withal so much beautiful domestic happiness, that one seldom sees the like of in actual life. In their establishment and whole manner of living there is so much unassuming modesty amid all the obvious luxury and wealth around them, that one cannot but feel at one’s ease. And to me most gratifying is his unmistakable attachment to and esteem for Spohr. He himself played a most extremely difficult and highly characteristic composition of his own, called ‘Siebenzehn ernste Variationen’ (seventeen serious variations), with immense effect; then followed two of Spohr’s quartets--among them the newest (the 30th.)--on which occasion Mendelssohn and Wagner read from the score with countenances expressive of their delight. Besides these, the wife of doctor Frege sang some of Spohr’s songs, which Mendelssohn accompanied beautifully; and in this manner the hours passed rapidly and delightfully with alternate music and lively conversation, till midnight drew on unobserved, and at length gave impressive warning to break up. Wagner, who was obliged to return to Dresden the following day, came to take leave of us, which both to us and to him was a sad moment. But after he had left, he was frequently the subject of our conversation, for he left us the words of a new opera which he had written (Lohengrin) to read, and which is exceedingly original and interesting.... Yesterday at the dinner-table we made another agreeable acquaintance, that of the poet Robert Prutz, who being seated exactly opposite to us, introduced himself, sustained a very lively conversation, and appeared quite charmed at meeting with Spohr. After dinner a performance was arranged in the church by the pupils of the Thomas School, where, without any accompaniment Spohr’s psalm with double choir, ‘Aus der Tiefe’ (out of the deep) and his favorite motet by Bach: ‘Ich lasse Dich nicht’ (I will not leave thee) were sung.... Last evening an extra concert was given for Spohr in the well-known Gewandhaus, which, under Mendelssohn’s direction, was in every respect a brilliant entertainment. The programme consisted wholly of Spohr’s compositions, of which we had not been apprized before hand, and which was on purpose to take us by surprise. It comprised: 1stly. The overture to Faust; 2dly. An air from Jessonda sung by the prima donna, Mrs. Meyer; 3dly. Grand violin concerto played to Spohr’s complete satisfaction by the wonderful boy Joachim; 4thly. Songs with clarinet accompaniment, by the wife of doctor Frege, Mendelssohn, and a first-rate clarinetist, so wonderfully executed that it went to the very heart; 5thly. ‘Weihe der Töne,’ which for years has been a bright-shining star with the Leipzic orchestra. At the request of Mendelssohn, Spohr, although he would rather have remained a hearer only, took the direction of the two last subjects, on which occasion he was greeted by the orchestra and the auditory, which consisted of about two hundred select guests, with a storm of applause, as he had also been saluted with upon his entrance. The whole was a grand elevating festival, and for Spohr a deeply-felt gratification. Mendelssohn was extremely amiable, and the whole evening as though intensely happy, which proved how foreign to his mind is every feeling of jealousy. This evening the last music party will meet at Vogt’s, where Mendelssohn proposes to himself an especial pleasure, not only in taking part in Spohr’s first trio as pianist, but as viol in his splendid third double quartet.”

In this manner up to the last moment was Mendelssohn’s thoughtful and kind attention evinced to Spohr, and upon his departure on the following morning, when the numerous friends who had accompanied us to the railway-station had taken leave of him, he was, as the further accounts of the journey express it, “the last of all, who, as the train at first proceeded slowly, ran for a considerable distance by the side of the carriage, until he could no longer keep up with it, and his kindly beaming eyes were the last that left their expression on the minds of the travellers from Leipzic,” little anticipating indeed that it was to be their last meeting on this side of the grave!

Scarcely had Spohr arrived in Carlsbad, than he received a pressing invitation from the Landgrave of Fürstenberg, president of the society of music of Vienna, to direct there two grand performances of his renowned oratorio, “The Fall of Babylon,” upon the occasion of a festival at which 1000 singers would assist. But as this was to take place in November, and it would be necessary to ask for another “extraordinary” leave of absence to comply with the invitation, this was applied for through the Austrian embassy. But notwithstanding the signature of “Metternich” gave its imposing weight to the application, the Prince refused compliance, and thus not only was Spohr prevented going, but the performance of his oratorio was necessarily deferred to a more favourable opportunity.

Among the various incidents which this time occurred in agreeable relief and interruption to the daily routine prescribed for taking the baths, was first a concert given by the violinist Ernst, of which a letter speaks as follows: “The concert of so celebrated a virtuoso was quite an event for Carlsbad, and afforded us much pleasure. Besides the song scene of Spohr, he played several of his own things, some of which were very beautiful, curious compositions replete with all manner of difficulties and wonderful artistic resorts for display, and which he executed with great precision and ease; but although he played Spohr’s concerts with much care and great expression, yet we have not only heard it played by Spohr himself, but by his talented pupil Jean Bott, much more correctly. The overcrowded house presented a curious spectacle, for not only was the space allotted to the spectators, but the whole stage also, occupied by the public, which sat round disposed in a large semi-circle,” &c. But amusing scenes of another kind also occurred at Carlsbad. One day a good-natured invalid visitor of the baths took it into his head to give a little treat to the fifteen young serving-women attached to the baths, at which several hundred spectators were present; and above all, Spohr, with his characteristic good humour, took great pleasure at the sight of the assembled girls, dressed in their uniform (white gowns, green spencers, and pink aprons), each with a fresh-gathered rose in her hair, seated at a long table, and looking around on all the spectators with eyes beaming with pleasure as they partook of their treat of coffee and cake. At another time, by a similar but anonymous kind-hearted individual a parcel was sent to Spohr containing two enormous herrings, remarkable samples of their species, with the laconic inscription appended to them: “I love Spohr’s music! The great German Spohr will not despise the accompanying quite fresh herrings, a very rare, but permitted dish here. Carlsbad June 6.” Though Spohr had always been used to receive a great variety of presents, and frequently of the strangest kind, as tokens of esteem and admiration, yet he had never before received one of so surprising and comical a kind, at which, with Ernst, who happened to be present at the moment he received them, he laughed very heartily, and then without much speculation or care as to who the anonymous donor might be, ate with much relish the delicious fish, as a change from the scant prescriptive supper permitted to the bath patients. As the greatest moderation not only in physical but mental exertions and enjoyments formed part of the bathing cure, Spohr, as a conscientious patient, had at first considered it a duty to refrain from every musical excitement, particularly from that of composing, until the impulse became so strong within him that he thought it more prejudicial to suppress by force than to give some form to the vivid ideas that floated across his fancy; and thus with unforced readiness flowed from his pen the last part yet wanting to complete the fourth pianoforte trio which he had already begun in Cassel; and it being as it were the bubbling and overflow of the gaiety of his spirits, he was accustomed to call it by way of souvenir of the benefit he derived from the bubbling springs of Carlsbad, “Der Sprudelsatz” (The bubble piece). As however there was no good player on the violincello in Carlsbad, he thought he should be obliged to wait till his return to Cassel for a thorough performance of the trio; but during a short stay at Meiningen on his return journey, Edward Grund, the already frequently mentioned music director, with incredible diligence took all the requisite measures for getting up a quartet party on the same evening in his house, where Spohr had the unexpected opportunity of hearing his trio, with the aid of his wife and the distinguished violincellist Metzner, for the first time, which afforded also no little delight to the company present. As it also soon became a favorite piece with the musical circles of Cassel, Spohr kept it by him for a long time in manuscript, before he sent it to his publisher, Schuberth, who looked forward with truly restless impatience to the appearance of this trio of Spohr’s in order to make it public. (Op. 135.)

In the beginning of the year 1847 the day drew near at length, the celebration of which had for weeks beforehand set the natives of Cassel on the tip-toe of pleasurable expectation, that, namely, of his twenty-fifth year’s jubilee as director at the court theatre of Cassel. The lively interest taken far and near in this festival evinced itself in so many demonstrations of attachment and esteem towards the individual thus honoured, that a published account of them written by Dr. Frederick Oetker, the proceeds of which were devoted to charitable purposes, formed a complete pamphlet, for a short extract from which we have alone room here:

“Early on the morning of the 20th. January, the recipient of the day’s honours was awakened from his slumbers by a serenade played by his pupils Jean Bott and A. Malibran, who, assisted by musicians of the court orchestra, performed his second double quartet. This was followed by a long succession of congratulatory visits from relatives, friends, pupils, and admirers of all classes and from every quarter, who came to express their wishes for his health and happiness. From the society of St. Cecilia there came a well selected deputation, composed of representatives of soprani, alti, tenori and bass, in whose name the secretary Knyrim, the only remaining original member, expressed in hearty words their grateful acknowledgement of the many services rendered to art, and to the society in particular, by the honoured jubilant. These were succeeded by the postmaster-general Nebelthau, as member of the council of state, who presented Spohr a congratulatory address in writing from the chief magistrate of Cassel, and then the music director from Göttingen, Mr. Wehner, delivered a wreath of laurel from that place, accompanied with a congratulatory poem, and with a diploma nominating Spohr an honorary member of the singing association of Göttingen. Accompanied with a most obliging letter the King of Prussia sent to him the order of the red eagle, third class, and the Prince, who had some years before already conferred upon him the Hessian order of the lion, forwarded to him upon this occasion a further mark of distinction, nominating him music director-general, with grant of official character at court. The rescript of this patent was personally handed to Spohr by the chamberlain von Heeringen, who the previous year had been nominated intendant-general of the court theatre, in order at the same time to express both his good wishes and the high esteem he felt for Spohr as a man and as an artist, which he moreover proved upon this occasion by the splendid festal performances he had ordered at the theatre in celebration of this day. This consisted in a musical-dramatic production “of scenically connected music-pieces from the operas of Spohr,” the tickets of admission to which, besides those to the extra standing places, had been issued many days before, so that the house was actually crammed. When Spohr made his appearance in the box in the first tier, which had been appropriated to him and his family, he was received with the most tumultuous demonstrations of joy, with which the strains of his overture to the opera of “Alruna” soon mingled. This was followed by a tableau from “Zemira and Azor,” representing the union of the lovers. After the conclusion of this tableau, as also after each of the following scenes from Spohr’s operas: “Zemira”, “Zweikampf,” “Jessonda,” “Berggeist,” “Pietro von Abano,” “Alchymist,” and “Kreuzfahrer,” the fairy with her golden magic wand came upon the stage and introduced the succeeding scene each time with appropriate verses. After each piece of music the outburst of applause was repeated, and at its conclusion redoubled in energy, to be again resumed with equal perseverance as in succession the two overtures to the “Mountain Sprite” and to “Faust” were executed with remarkable precision under the direction of Bochmann the military band-master. Then followed an appropriately conceived festal-play called “Die Huldigung” (The Homage). The scene represented a handsome park ornamented with statues, vases and garlands; in the back ground a modest dwelling, but richly decorated with garlands of flowers: The house, in which Spohr was born, in Brunswick. Gardeners and maidens are busied in decorating the garden; to their question as to the purpose and occasion of the festival the steward informs them, telling them the name of the honoured jubilant, and in citing his works speaks also of ‘Die letzten Dinge’ and ‘Der Fall Babylons.’

“All now set up a shout of joy, and from every part of the house rang the enthusiastic cheers of the excited assembly. Upon this the orchestra struck up the polonaise in “Faust,” while the committee of the fete waited on Spohr to conduct him to a throne of flowers, where he was again greeted with a poetical address, and a crown of laurel placed upon his head “as Apollo’s favoured son,” amid the joyful vivats of the public. After the fete at the theatre was over, and he proceeded to partake of a family supper at the house of his son-in-law Wolff, he received late in the evening a brilliant serenade from the members of the lyrical association, who had assembled before the house by the light of numerous coloured lamps. The singing being concluded they then sent up a deputation to present the diploma of an honorary member of the society to the jubilant. Thus terminated this eventful day, but not the festivities; for the following day brought further congratulatory addresses in prosa and verse with honours of every kind, among which the presentation of the freedom of the city from the chief magistrate of Cassel, and as also worthy of mention, the gift of a costly silver vase from the joint members of the orchestra and theatrical company, presented by the committee of the festival.”

On the twenty-second of January another grand fete took place, given as a surprise to their friend and master by the members of the quartet circle, so frequently adverted to. After Spohr had been conducted with great ceremony into the presence of the company, composed of about seventy persons, a congratulatory poem composed by Dr. Oetker was read.

The musical part of the fete which now followed consisted of Spohr’s third double quartet, executed under the direction of his pupil Jean Bott; of two of his incomparable songs with clarinet accompaniment, sung by a distinguished dilettante; and the pianoforte quintet with wind-instrument accompaniment. After the conclusion of these extremely successful performances, all adjourned in the best spirits to the supper-room, where, seasoned with toasts both of earnest and mirthful import, the happy evening was brought to a close in an appropriate manner.

The account of this jubilee published shortly after by Fr. Oetker gave occasion at the same time to Spohr for the commencement of his autobiography. The author of that pamphlet having at the same time expressed the intention of following it up with a detailed account of his life, requested Spohr to furnish him first with the necessary notes; but he himself, while making the necessary sketch of it, took so much pleasure in recalling the varied events of each year as they presented themselves to his memory, that he conceived the idea of preferring to undertake its full detail himself.[40] With a lively interest he now immediately set himself to this work, which nevertheless proceeded but slowly, when the impulse for musical composition assumed again its mastery. He then first wrote six pièces de salon for violin and pianoforte, distinguished by the titles: Barcarole, Scherzo, Sarabande, Siciliano, Air varié and Mazurka, collected in one volume as Op. 135, published by J. Schuberth; these were followed by his fourth double quartet, and some months later, at the express wish of the Philharmonic Society of London, by the eighth symphony (G minor), which appeared at Leipzic as Op. 137 (Peters), in score and arranged for four hands for the pianoforte.

[40] From this somewhat accidental origin of Spohr’s autobiography it may be readily inferred, that it contains nothing more than a faithful picture of his eventful life, interesting to the majority of those who take a warm interest in his musical compositions; and that it was not his intention in any manner to have it considered in the light of a contribution to the history of art, nor as a critical opinion of the works of his colleagues in art, which has been here and there erroneously expected from this biography.

Subsequently also, Spohr’s activity was unusually taxed at the theatre, as he was required for the approaching Whitsuntide holidays to prepare not only the usual opera but also (an exceptional case) a grand concert, in which among other things his double symphony and his first concertante were executed by himself and his pupil Jean Bott. For Whitmonday a new opera, “Arria,” by Hugo Stähle, had been selected, which as the maiden-work of a young composer who had grown up amid them had greatly awakened the interest of all lovers of music in Cassel. Already when a boy the young musician had exhibited such prominent talent, that Spohr was induced, at the wish of his father, Major Stähle of Cassel, to take him as a pupil in composition. With constantly increasing interest he now watched the progress of his talented pupil, who, already a good pianist, soon tried his hand at greater pianoforte-compositions, among which a quartet in A major (Op. 1, published by Schuberth) is especially remarkable as a success. Encouraged by this, he then, though not yet one and twenty years of age, ventured under Spohr’s guidance upon the composition of music to the opera above named, written by his friend Jac. Hofmeister, and that so fully satisfied Spohr, that upon his pressing recommendation its performance was determined upon and soon put in process of execution. Though Spohr experienced real satisfaction at the highly favourable reception this opera met with from the public, and looked forward hopefully to a brilliant future for the young composer, this first triumph was unhappily his last; for after the lapse of a year, he was seized with an inflammatory fever, which arrested his career of promise by an early death!

After Spohr had several times deferred his last visit to England to direct according to invitation the performance of some of his works, he at length resolved in the summer of 1847, to yield once more to the reiterated invitations he had received, and to direct the three grand concerts, in which the Sacred Harmonic Society proposed to give the whole of his sacred pieces--oratorios, psalms, &c. At the commencement of the theatrical vacation he therefore set out, accompanied on the journey to England by his wife and sister-in-law, and this time by way of the interesting cities of Brussel and Ghent to Ostend, where he proposed to embark. A letter written home adverts as follows to their stay in Ghent: “On our way we had been informed that upon the very day of our arrival a grand singing festival was to take place, of the united Flemish and German lyrical societies; but as we did not arrive here before 7 o’clock in the evening, some time after the chief part of the concert had begun, we thought to avail ourselves of the fine summer evening to take a walk through the town, which we found large and handsome beyond our expectation. Scarcely however had we proceeded above a hundred yards when Spohr was recognised by some gentlemen, who hastened towards him with the greatest surprise, and compelled us almost by force to go with them and hear the second part of the concert, the first part being just finished. In this manner we were all three hurried into a fine building, the ‘Palais de Justice’ and stood suddenly in the immense hall filled with several thousand persons, when at the same moment one of the gentlemen who brought us in, a member of the committee of the festival, with a loud voice called out: ‘Messieurs, le grand compositeur Spohr vient d’arriver dans notre ville, le voici!’ At this announcement the whole assembly rose from their seats, and clapping their hands cried: ‘Vive Spohr, le grand Spohr!’ and a perfect shower of flowers in the shape of bouquets large and small were showered upon him from all sides. It was long before the tumultuous applause ceased; meanwhile seats were yielded to us in the best places, and there we sat somewhat out of countenance in our dusty travelling costume in the midst of handsomely dressed ladies. But the whole scene, from its very unexpectedness, had something extremely original and almost overpowering about it. We then heard, with the rest, the second part of the concert, in which the different lyrical associations sung in part with, and partly without, orchestral accompaniment. They all met with the most lively applause, which their execution in reality also deserved.

“It lasted until past 9 o’clock, and then a crowd of persons pressed forward to salute Spohr and to speak to him, so that it was late enough before we got home to supper, and retired to rest. But this was again to be of short duration, for between 11 and 12 o’clock we heard all manner of noises and preparations for a grand serenade, which the Ghent society ‘Des Mélomanes’ had resolved upon giving to Spohr. Nolens volens he was obliged to get out of bed and dress anew not only in acknowledgement of the fine music and tremendous vivats of the assembled crowd, but also to receive a deputation, which at the solemn midnight hour announced to him his nomination as honorary member of the society,” &c.

Upon Spohr’s arrival in London he and his travelling companions were again hospitably received in the friendly family of Professor Taylor, and for them now began in every respect a period of great enjoyment. The oratorio performances in Exeter-Hall appointed for every Friday, went off with their usual finished perfection; but the programme that had been previously determined upon had suffered from the alteration, that in place of the “Calvary,” which it was feared would here also excite objection on the part of the clergy, a second performance of the “Fall of Babylon” was announced; while in the third concert, as it had been previously determined, “Die letzten Dinge,” the “Lord’s Prayer,” and Spohr’s recently composed 84th. Psalm after Milton’s metrical translation, were given. The enthusiasm at all the three concerts, which was scarcely susceptible of increase on all that had previously been shewn, was evinced this time more particularly by rapturous encores of a great number of choruses and solo pieces. The intervening days were passed in a no less satisfactory manner, in which all emulated in affording some enjoyment, or in testifying their respect for Spohr in various ways. In varied and constant interchange, invitations, festivities, promenades and railway excursions succeeded each other, one of which extended as far as 70 English miles, to the celebrated university city of Cambridge, with its grand and peculiar style of architecture; and another to the city of Ely, remarkable for its situation upon a beautiful and fruitful hill rising from the midst of a low moorland, and yet more for its beautiful cathedral, considered one of the finest specimens of Gothic architecture in England. In this, as a remains of its former splendour, the finest ecclesiastical psalmody is still chanted during divine service by sixteen singers especially maintained for that purpose, and seldom in that solitary place could perhaps be found hearers so devoutly attentive and edified as were Spohr and his travelling companions.

In pleasant reunions with the Horsley, Benedict and Taylor families, his most intimately known friends, Spohr especially passed many happy hours, in whose circles allied so intimately to art and artists, fine music was a never-failing enjoyment, and in which frequently, to the delight of his hearers, Spohr contributed his personal aid. The more decidedly however, did he decline every request to perform in public, and in one exceptional instance only consented to assist at a concert given in his honour by the Beethoven quartet society. The programme of this concert, which displayed the heading “Homage to Spohr,” comprised however on this occasion nothing of Beethoven, and three compositions of Spohr only, selected from different periods of his life, viz: 1st. A quartet (G minor), a production of his early youth; 2dly. A duet composed about 20 years later, played by Joachim and Sainton in a masterly manner, and 3rdly. The third double quartet (E minor), in which Spohr took the first violin part, and by his play and by the whole composition, the first “number” of which alone had kindled the admiration of the public, drew down a very storm of applause. The newspapers adverted in terms of the highest praise to the selection of the three compositions and to their separate beauties. Upon this occasion, respecting the duets the “Times” said as follows: “These duets for two violins belong to the greatest productions of Spohr’s richly inventive genius. Out of seemingly small materials the great composer has achieved harmonic effects scarcely inferior in richness and fullness to the quartet. The duet in E flat is positively overflowing with beauties of melody and counterpoint, a perfect masterpiece.”... And added further on: “The double quartet in E minor is one of Spohr’s most surpassingly rich compositions.... Every separate theme bears the stamp of genius, and is worked out with a perfection of finish that displays the highest degree of intelligence.”... “If Spohr had never written anything else, his fame would have been established by this work alone, as one of the greatest composers in the world.”... “Spohr plays now but seldom in public, but both musicians, and the general public alike, eagerly seize the rare opportunity of hearing the greatest violinist of the present day. His style is a pattern of purity and taste.... He not alone produces difficulties of every kind, and handles them with the ease of mere play toys,--but in his execution displays moreover the full energy and inspiration of youth.”...

The end of the vacation was now rapidly drawing near, and with it once more the hour of parting; and on the last days of his sojourn so manifold were the demands made upon his time and attention that all his habitual calm self possession was taxed to the utmost. With heart and mind impressed with happy and elevating reminiscences he returned to his native country, where with his accustomed cheerfulness and zeal he was soon re-engaged in the performance of the duties of his post.

In the beginning of November he was plunged into grief by the sudden intelligence of the death of his friend Mendelssohn, deeply lamenting whose loss both as a man and a musician, he expressed himself as follows in a letter to M. Hauptmann: “What might Mendelssohn in the full maturity of his genius not have written, had fate permitted him a longer life! For his delicate frame the mental exertion was too great and therefore destructive! His loss to art is much to be lamented, for he was the most gifted of then living composers, and his efforts in art were of the noblest!”--His next thought was to institute a festival in memoriam of the too early departed one, but as he received for answer to his proposal to that effect, from the intendant of the court theatre, that: “the proposed festival in memory of the deceased could not be permitted at the concerts of the court theatre, as it did not find approval in the highest quarters,” he determined to give it on a smaller scale at a private concert in celebration of the 25th. anniversary of the St. Cecilia society on the 22nd. November, and upon the occasion to inaugurate the fete with a poem composed for the occasion with a chorus from Mendelssohn’s “Paulus.” But after everything had been arranged for the best and the grand rehearsal been held, intelligence was suddenly received of the dangerous illness of the Elector Wilhelm II., who resided in Frankfort, which was followed by that of his death, and the order for a general mourning throughout the Electorate and a desistance from every kind of music on the following days. Hereupon, after a delay of a month, the performance of the projected festival was again about to take place, and Spohr had once more fixed the day for it, when death once more intervened--this time afflicting his own family with a very painful loss. On the 18th. December Spohr’s mother-in-law was seized with illness, and after a few days’ suffering was snatched from the disconsolate family to which she had been bound by ties of the tenderest affection. The Christmas holidays, which had usually been with them a period of happy festivity, were now changed to days of gloom and mourning, and the more so from the circumstance that Mr. Pfeiffer (father) was laid on a sick-bed by the unexpected blow, and the happy reunion in the paternal house, where Spohr always felt so happy, and so well knew how to make others so, seemed to be interrupted for a long time, if not for ever! The subsequent weeks passed amid cares and anxieties, and not until his father-in-law’s convalescence could Spohr think of celebrating the long-prepared-for festival.

The programme was so arranged, that it presented in chronological order twelve music pieces of Bach, Händel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Hauptmann, Mendelssohn and Spohr, as specimens of the style of each of those masters, to whose works the St. Cecilia society during its existence of twenty-five years had especially devoted its efforts. After the last song piece but one: “Wir preisen selig die” &c., from “Paulus,” a poem was recited, entitled: Feeling of sorrow upon the early death of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.

This was followed by the presentation of a double breast-pin set with diamonds, accompanied with a poetical address to Spohr--the subject represented by the pin being a violin, and bass-clef. A “Hymn to Spohr,” composed by H. Stähle, was then sung; and in conclusion, at the banquet which followed, a discourse was delivered relative to the origin and services of the society for the prosperity of which the speaker himself (Mr. Weinrich), in the triple character of singer, librarian, and treasurer, had laboured with unwearied zeal for many years.

In 1848, shortly after the outbreak of the disturbances in France, Spohr, somewhat under the influence of ideas of liberty, &c., composed his sextet for two violins, two viols and two violincellos (Op. 140, published by C. Luckhardt of Cassel), on making entry of which in the list of his compositions, he appended the words: “Written in March and April, at the time of the glorious revolution of the peoples for the liberty, unity and grandeur of Germany.” And this composition, so rich in freshness of melodies, in genuine ætherial harmony, that scarcely any other of Spohr’s works surpasses it, furnishes an eloquent testimony to the state of his feelings and his aspirations, which, soaring above the storms of the present, speak only of peace, hope and concord, as in spirit he beheld them spring out of the momentary struggles. Satisfied as Spohr might feel with this composition--the first since the dawning of the new æra upon Germany--he nevertheless for some time wholly abandoned all further composition, feeling, as he complained in a letter to his friend Hauptmann, that “the excitement of politics and the constant reading of the newspapers incapacitated him from giving his attention to any serious and quiet study.”

On the 6th. August a grand popular festival took place in Cassel, which kept the whole of the inhabitants in a state of joyous mobility for the day. It commenced early in the morning, with the public recognition of the imperial administrator by the garrison assembled upon the “Forst.” This was followed by the consecration and presentation of colours to the newly-formed corps of body-guards, combined with a grand church service in the presence of the Electoral family upon the Bowling-green in the Karlsaue, and in the afternoon there was a people’s festival, in which the whole population of Cassel--a mixed troop of all classes--flocked to the Aue, either as participators in, or spectators of, the popular games, the dancing and the music. Towards evening, to the surprise of everybody the Elector, in plain black dress-coat, was seen threading his way among the joyous crowd, with looks expressive of the cheerful interest with which he acknowledged the cheers of the people who thronged every part of the park. The festivities of the day were terminated by a concert under Spohr’s direction, executed by the singers and members of the choral societies of Cassel in front of the orangery, at which also the Elector appeared, and after a lengthened conversation with Spohr, asked him expressly for the song “Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland.”

In June 1849 Spohr set out for Carlsbad, and stopped on his way thither a few days at Leipzic, where in the circle of his musical friends, he again passed many happy hours devoted to his noble art. On the first evening, at the house of his friend Mr. Vogt, two of his latest and as yet unpublished compositions--the fourth double quartet (G minor) and the but recently finished 31st. quartet (C major)--both of which were subsequently published by C. Luckhardt in Cassel as Op. 136 and 141. The double quartet was received more especially with such warm admiration, that Spohr gratified the wish expressed by several of his auditors to repeat it once more on the following day at the conservatory before a large circle, among whom were the teachers and pupils of that institution. On the last evening, his old friend Moscheles prepared for him a brilliant fête, and embellished the musical part of it by his own masterly performance of Spohr’s first trio, and his pianoforte quintet with wind instruments, after which the strains of a choral song, “Honour to Spohr,” were suddenly heard from the garden in front of the house, and some of his four-part songs, some of Mendelssohn’s and some of Hauptmann’s, were executed in a most effective manner.

The now ensuing stay in Carlsbad, extending to several weeks, was upon this occasion particularly pleasant in many respects. In the intercourse with several distinguished men well known for their public activity, Spohr took great pleasure. Among these especially were Hansemann of Berlin and Simson of Königsberg, to the latter of whom, from the thorough community of sentiment in their mutual political creed, he was especially attracted. As both men evinced at the same time a warm love of music, they, together with their families were soon admitted into the small circle of the elect who had the entrée to the musical performances of Spohr and his wife. With these and other charming families the afternoons were then passed in excursions on all sides into the beautiful environs, in which Spohr, although long since well acquainted with every spot, always experienced a new delight and one equally shared by his wife.

From his stay in Carlsbad Spohr also experienced the most desirable benefit to his health, resulting in so complete and permanent a relief to the liver complaint which had recurred at previous frequent intervals, that, grateful as he felt for the pleasant and health-restoring time he had passed there, he had now no further necessity to resort to the wonderful efficacity of its waters.

Strengthened and refreshed in body and mind, he returned to Cassel, and shortly afterwards began the composition of his fifth pianoforte trio (C minor, Op. 141, published by Schuberth in Hamburg); which was followed by three duets for two soprani, published by Peters of Leipzic, which for their sweetly expressive melodies and their ease of performance, like those which had previously appeared from the pen of Mendelssohn, soon became favorite pieces in musical circles.

Towards the end of the year 1849 Spohr was afflicted by a heavy sorrow, in the sudden illness that befell his wife the day after Christmas Day, and which increased so much in severity as to imperil her life at the entry of the new year. At length, however, her good and unimpaired constitution, aided by the most unremitting care, overcame her malady, and Spohr hailed once more with delight the day when she could again resume her accustomed seat by his side at the dinner-table. But on the next day (January 22) an untoward accident befell himself. While on his usual daily way to the theatre rehearsal, a sharp unexpected frost having set in during the night, he slipped, and fell with such violence as to inflict a very severe blow on his head, from the consequence of which the unremitting care of his experienced medical attendant Dr. Harnier did not re-establish him till after the lapse of several weeks. Shortly after his recovery, he wrote his ninth symphony, “Die Jahreszeiten” (The Seasons), the plan of which had much occupied his mind during his illness, and as he himself complained, “regularly haunted him during the long sleepless and feverish nights.” He gave in so far a new form to it, that he divided it into two grand themes, with the designations: Part I.: Winter, transition to spring, spring. Part II.: Summer, transition to autumn, autumn. Although Spohr wrote the symphony in the dull cold days of winter, the result nevertheless was just the least characteristic of his winterly intentions. While in the spring theme every note rings joyous with the glad awaking of nature,--in that of summer, the sultry heat is expressed in tones the effect of which is such, that the astonished hearer positively seems to feel it--and lastly the autumn, with its exhilarating music of the chase, and the masterly interwoven Rheinweinlied (vintage song of the Rhine)--can scarcely fail in inspiring the hearer with the most lively enthusiasm.

About this time Spohr, with every lover of music in Cassel, experienced great pleasure from the visit of a young female artiste nearly related to him. This was Rosalie Spohr, the second daughter of his brother William. From early childhood she had evinced a passionate love of music, and subsequently devoted herself with unwearying zeal to the study of the harp. Although at first it was not the wish of her parents that their daughter should perform in public, yet when they had subsequently become convinced of her real artistic talent, they could no longer oppose her ardent wishes, and at the age of 22 she proceeded, accompanied by her father, upon her first musical tour. After she had given proof of her abilities in several public performances at Hamburg and Leipzic, she visited Cassel, where she played several times in private circles, and at one concert at the theatre under the direction of Spohr, on which occasion she not only earned the warmest approbation of a delighted auditory but a yet more gratifying reward in the commendatory words of her highly-esteemed uncle. The young musician subsequently achieved many a brilliant triumph in her further visits to the larger cities of Germany and Holland; but her promising artistic career was shortly brought to an unexpectedly early termination, first by deaths in her immediate family circle, and afterwards by her marriage with count Xavier Sauerma.

During the summer vacation, in order at length to pay his long-promised visit to Breslau, Spohr proceeded thither by way of Leipzic in the hope of hearing Schumann’s new opera of “Genoveva;” but to his great regret, upon his arrival there, he was informed of the delays that had intervened to defer its performance, and was obliged to content himself with attending several rehearsals, but which, on account of the frequently interrupting repetitions, could naturally afford him but a very imperfect conception of the whole work. Although by no means an admirer of the compositions of Schumann so far known to him, in which he had frequently found a want of euphony and melodious breadth of harmonies, he formed a very favourable opinion of the opera, and it especially pleased him to observe that the same method of treatment which he had resorted to in the composition of the “Crusader” had been followed, in that Schumann did not permit the unnatural interruption of the action by a wearisome and constant repetition of words. It was no less interesting to Spohr to become acquainted with some of his larger pianoforte compositions, the desired opportunity for which was afforded him at the musical parties given to him, at which Mrs. Clara Schumann played a trio and pianoforte-concerto of her husband’s with the most finished excellence, with which exception all the rest were compositions of Spohr’s, among which the sextet he wrote during the March revolution: and at an extra-concert at the Gewandhaus his newest symphony, “The seasons,” was performed to the great delight of all who heard it.

The remainder of his stay in Breslau, which was there expressively designated as a “fortnight-long Spohr festival,” was a continuous round of entertainments, musical soirées, &c. The “Neue Oder-Zeitung” describes Spohr’s advent as “an event, that had set all the educated classes of the town in commotion,” and further adds: “Everybody crowds forward to see the German master--all are anxious to say that they have at least had the satisfaction of a personal meeting. There is a peculiar gratification in standing opposite to the man who, though his eye rests upon us with the coldness of the stranger, has been long known to us in spirit as one of our best and dearest friends--whose works have recalled to us the golden dreams of our youth, and whose noble creations purify our souls. All in Germany who love music and who play, recognise the master to whom as musicians they are indebted for a great part of their culture, for many elevating feelings, many hours of happiness. Is it then to be wondered at that every one crowds around the master--that all are ready to acquit part of that debt to him by loud and honourable acknowledgements?”

His festive reception, which commenced at the very railway station, was followed in the evening by a grand serenade and procession by torch-light, for which all the musical and choral societies of Breslau had met to execute the choicest pieces of music, chiefly selected from Spohr’s operas, and which at intervals they gave singly, or executed in combination and en masse. At the grand concert that took place under his own direction at the spacious and handsome Aula, his own compositions alone were given: Overture to and air from “Faust,” the third symphony, with the “Lord’s Prayer;” and the “Breslauer Zeitung” designates it as “a musical festival singular in its kind in the city of Breslau, for that Spohr at the present time was the only one who had so much distinguished himself in every kind of composition, that the church, the concert room, and the theatre, could equally boast of his works; and that such a performance by such united powers (singing academy, theatrical orchestra, society of musicians, &c.) had never yet taken place there.” At the different banquets that were given to Spohr, his music in various ways formed part of the entertainment, and the songs that were written in his honour for the occasion had been adapted to appropriate melodies of his, which greatly increased their effect and frequently took the company by surprise.

At the express wish of the friends of music of Breslau, he determined to assist personally at a concert given in the smaller saloon of the Aula, before a great number of musical amateurs who had been invited; in his sextet and third double quartet, of which the “Breslauer Zeitung” speaks with much enthusiasm, and after dwelling upon the generally acknowledged specialities of his play, says further: “that the master at his present age still possesses all those specialities; that he plays with the fire and energy of a young man, and throws off the greatest difficulties with a power and boldness that are astonishing--that it is a thing quite unusual and was never seen there before.”

On the part of the directors of the theatre the happy selection of Spohr’s opera “Zemire und Azor” was made in his honour, which, with its charming melodies, never fails to make the most pleasing impression on the public on the first time of hearing; and with its music so truly appropriate to its subject, opens to us as it were the bright world of fairy land, which although more than ever fading away from the materialistic age in which we live, yet idealised by such sweet sounds, can never lose its fascination for the mind. This effect was produced on this occasion in Breslau also, as demonstrated by the brilliant reception with which it was welcomed, and the generally expressed wish for its speedy repetition under Spohr’s direction, who then also experienced great pleasure in those two fine performances of his work.--He was no less gratified by the organ concert given him by his friend Hesse in the fine church of St. Bernard, in which he exhibited his great mastery of that grand instrument in every possible manner. Devoted admirer and adherent of Spohr as he was, he was still loathe to part from him, when after a fortnight passed in Breslau he departed with the purpose of making an excursion in the Riesengebirge with his wife. As a guide intimate with the localities Hesse accompanied them, and was not a little gratified in witnessing the feelings of delight with which Spohr was impressed by the natural beauties of his Silesian fatherland. Neither was music, loved music forgotten, for it was not only the subject of daily discourse, but in the Riesengebirge itself the powerful serenades of the music chorists of Warmbrunn and Hirschberg greeted their master, Spohr.--The return journey to Cassel was made viâ Berlin, where Spohr found an invitation from the conservatory, which, although but thinly composed in summer, performed nevertheless a part of his oratorio “Calvary” and his psalms with double chorus in a brilliant manner, by way of compensation both to themselves and him for his inability to comply with the invitation they had given him almost every winter to come and either personally direct or hear his oratorio.

Meanwhile the political state of Germany, and more particularly of Hesse greatly grieved Spohr, and as the best consolation he abandoned himself to his musical studies, the zest for which did not leave him even in this time of trouble and sorrow. In the course of the months of October and November he composed his seventh quintet for stringed instruments (G minor, Op. 144, published by Peters), and three songs from “One thousand and one days in the East,” by Bodenstedt (also published by Peters).

It was in the summer of this year that Spohr experienced the malice and chicanery of the court. He had intended to start the first day of his vacation for a tour in Switzerland and upper Italy. He accordingly sent in his request to the Elector, which he considered a mere pro-formâ matter. To Spohr’s great surprise the answer was in the negative--no leave of absence would be granted. Hereupon Spohr set off without leave. He passed through the Via Mala, over the Splügen to Milan and Venice, and returned over the St. Gotthard pass to Lucern, and so back to Cassel, where he arrived before the vacation had expired. After a short repose he availed himself of the remaining time to pay a long-promised visit to Wehner the director of the orchestra at Göttingen, who, conjointly with all the lovers of music at that place, used every exertion to do honour and afford gratification to their esteemed guest. A serenade given by the members of the choral society on the first evening of his arrival was followed on the next morning by a musical greeting performed by the band of the regiment lying at Nordheim in the immediate neighbourhood. At a grand concert given at the Aula Spohr directed in person his symphony “Die Weihe der Töne,” which was followed by his potpourri on themes from Jessonda, performed by one of his most distinguished pupils, Auguste Kömpel, who when a boy had awakened the warmest interest on the part of Spohr by his remarkable talent, and after having studied under him for several years with the greatest success, was first appointed a member of the court orchestra at Cassel and subsequently Kammermusicus and member of the royal orchestra at Hanover.[41] As finale to the concert Mendelssohn’s music to Athalia, combined with a melodramatic poem, was executed by the members of the Göttingen choral society; and thus Spohr, who had been present at its grand rehearsal with the greatest interest, had the much desired opportunity of becoming acquainted with the only one of the grander lyrical compositions of Mendelssohn which he had not yet heard. On the following day there was also some excellent music.

[41] To him, as a true representative of the Spohr school was the preference given over all the competitors who bid in emulation of each other and at very high prices for the highly coveted Stradivari violin of his honoured master; and which became his property one year after the decease of the latter.

Wehner had made arrangements for quartet music at his own house, and previous to a large dinner party, which he gave as a mark of respect to Spohr, some exceedingly fine music was performed with the most finished excellence, and to the delight of all present Spohr himself took part in his own sextet. The dinner was seasoned by a succession of appropriate toasts and piquante speeches, the chief subjects of which were music and politics, and lastly also “Spohr’s bold stroke”--the journey without leave--was drank amid the clang of glasses and the enthusiastic cheers of the company, who highly approved of the spirit he had shown. But the “bold stroke” was, as may be imagined, considered with much less approbation in Cassel, and a few weeks after Spohr’s return he was officially required by the general-intendant to explain and justify “his absence from Cassel without leave.” His explanation was considered unsatisfactory, and he was condemned to pay a fine of 550 thaler (82 l. 10 s.). He went to law; but the end of it was that he paid the money, which was handed over to the pension fund instituted by him.

* * * * *

It was in the midst of these troubles that he wrote a series of six pieces de salon for violin and piano and the 32nd. violin quartet (Op. 145 and 146; Leipzig, Peters).

In the beginning of the year 1852 Spohr received a visit from the director of the Italian opera in London, Mr. Gye, who proposed to him to direct there his opera of “Faust” during his summer vacation, and for that purpose to write a connecting recitative instead of the dialogue in the original, by which means alone the urgent wish of the Queen for the performance of the opera on the Italian stage could be gratified. As Spohr at first considered that such a change would be impossible in many of the scenes, he felt compelled to decline the proposal; but they were not so easily to be pacified in London by so unexpected an answer, and after receiving several further pressing letters upon the subject, Spohr set himself to work, and, contrary to his own expectation, with such satisfactory results, that after its completion he expressed himself upon the subject in a letter of the 21st. May to Hauptmann in the following words: “You have no doubt already heard that at the express wish of the Queen of England and of Prince Albert I have remodelled my opera “Faust” for the grand opera. This work has afforded me great pleasure, and agreeably engaged me for a period of three months, in which I have been as it were transported completely back to the happy days of my youth in Vienna. At first, with the assistance of my wife, I had to alter the dialogue scenes in such a manner as to adapt them to composition. In doing this I have endeavoured to impart more interest to them than they previously possessed, and to make elision of those things which from the first had displeased me at many performances I had seen of this opera. I think and hope that I have succeeded in both. I had then to replace myself as it were in the same mood, and style in which I wrote Faust, and I hope that I have succeeded in this also, and that no one will observe a difference of style between the old and the new. The opera consists now of three acts; the second concludes with the wedding scene, and the third begins with a new entr’acte, which depicts with reminiscences from the trio of the torch-dance and the witches’ music the night of debauch passed by Faust, and then passes into a grand recitative by Mephistopheles, to which his air in E major is connected. After the disappearance of the witches a recitative by Faust follows, blended with intonations of former and later conception, and hereupon a shorter one between him and Wagner, which is succeeded by the concluding finale. My curiosity is now intense to hear the opera in its new form! Should nothing come of the journey to London, I hope to hear it soon at Weimar, as Lisst has asked for it in its new form for the court theatre there.”--The new recitatives thus reached London so early, that weeks before Spohr’s arrival there the study of the parts could be commenced; but at the first rehearsal he remarked that the in every other respect so greatly distinguished Italian singers, were not all he could have desired in their comprehension of this to them wholly foreign style of music, for which reason he immediately ordered daily thorough rehearsals under his own direction, in which he soon had the satisfaction of seeing that the whole of the singers entered more and more into the conception and spirit of his musical intentions, and submitted with the greatest willingness to his every nod, until every thing went so faultlessly that after the four last grand rehearsals which took place, and the lapse of three weeks, it was possible to give a perfect public performance.

To avoid all seeming reiteration of the numerous musical events and marks of respect, that in the interim were shewn to Spohr on this visit, it will suffice to mention one agreeable surprise only of which Spohr used to speak with delight in after years. This was the magnificent performance of his oratorio “Calvary” (des Heilands letzte Stunden) at Exeter Hall, under the excellent conducting of Costa; and which, performed by greater masses of assistants than at the memorable Norwich festival (700 singers and musicians), completely overpowered Spohr himself, as well as the enthusiastically delighted public; in so much, that he was obliged to agree in the remark of his friends, that the effect in many parts, especially that of the powerfully imposing choruses, was more immense than the composer himself had even conceived.

On Sundays, on which days, according to English custom, the theatres are closed, there are no concerts, and even all private music is hushed, Spohr gladly availed himself of the invitations he received to make excursions far away from the gigantic town, to recruit his energies somewhat in the fresh air, from the daily musical fatigue and excitement. Sometimes it was to Clapham and Kensington, on a visit to the Sillem and Horsley families; sometimes farther by railway to Sir George Smart’s pleasant country-house at Chertsey, which Spohr always called “the little paradise;” or to Professor Owen’s in Richmond-park; from which he always returned requickened in mind and body to the wear and tear of London life. Owen’s charming residence and his amiable manners were always subjects of agreeable recollection to Spohr, and he would often relate how the celebrated naturalist, in his kindly unassuming manner, would come out to welcome him on a hot summer’s day, clad in a light summer jacket and a broad-brimmed straw hat, but in honour of “his welcome renowned guest,” decorated with the Prussian order “pour le mérite,” and then till late in the evening devise every possible means of affording him pleasure and entertainment.

Meanwhile the rehearsals of Faust had prospered so well, that on the 15th. July the first public performance took place under Spohr’s direction, and a letter written home refers to it in the following manner:

“The opera went off incomparably well, and made a wonderfully powerful effect upon everybody. Indeed to us also it appeared in quite a new light--everything was so grand, so splendid! The new additional themes blend charmingly with the whole, and present singularly fine effects. Decorations, scenery, all are new, exceedingly brilliant and got up at great expense: orchestra, singers, and chorus, did their best, so that the Londoners say, that they have not seen so splendid an operatic performance for many years; and it was received throughout also with the most enthusiastic applause. That the foreign (almost all Italian) singers would have sung this German music with so much zest and pleasure, we could scarcely have believed possible. Those who most distinguished themselves were Mrs. Castellan (Kunigunda), Ronconi (Faust), Formes (Mephistopheles), and Tamberlik (Hugo). The latter charmed every body, for he has a splendid tenor voice with immense power, and he executed the beautiful air, accompanied by a magnificent chorus of forty male voices, with such fire and irresistible power that a da capo was called for by general acclamation. And Formes also, in his song in A major, which had greatly gained by the newly composed exceedingly beautiful introduction and recitative scene.... The whole house was in ecstacy, and in the intervals between the acts, and at the end, Spohr was warmly congratulated by a host of friends and admirers.” With similar success and with yet more perfect execution, the second and third performance of Faust, under Spohr’s direction, took place within a few days; after which he once more left England, accompanied to the place of embarcation by numerous lovers of music, who up to the last moment projected the most inviting plans for the next summer.

Agreeably impressed with the successful issue of his journey, he returned to Germany, picturing to himself the happy hours in which, as was his custom, he should again relate amid the expectant circle at home the interesting incidents of his visit. But this time the pleasure of once more meeting the members of his family was but too soon overshadowed, and Spohr beheld with much alarm the suffering constitution of his father-in-law, whose declining bodily strength had for some time past excited the utmost anxiety; but which assumed appearances so threatening during the last few weeks, that the anxious members of his family, despite their tender care and hopefulness, could no longer deceive themselves as to the near approach of his dissolution. With sorrowing hearts they beheld with every day the nearer approach of the long-dreaded moment; till on the 4th. October 1852, the loved and honoured parent breathed his last. This sad event cast an enduring shadow over Spohr’s life, for with his wife he not only lamented the loss of the beloved father, but mourned thenceforth that of the truthful friend whose feelings and sentiments had been so congenial with his own.

* * * * *

In the autumn of 1852 the duties of Spohr’s office were unexpectedly much alleviated by the nomination of a second director; an appointment which indeed, with his great activity and as yet unimpaired powers, he had never contemplated as a thing to be desired; but which was nevertheless the more agreeable to him from the circumstance that the newly-created appointment was given to his favorite pupil, concert-master Jean Bott, in order to secure his rejection of the post of musical director at Hanover, which had been offered to him under very favourable circumstances. By this means the Cassel court orchestra was saved the loss of so distinguished a member, and his services were fully secured. Spohr consented also very willingly to the requisitions of the managers of the theatre to abandon to the direction of the new co-director the operas proposed, and suggested but few modifications in this arrangement. By this means Bott assumed the direction of a number of light operas, chiefly French and Italian, but undertook as heretofore to lead as first violin in the orchestra under Spohr’s direction in all grand German operas, which were reserved to the latter. The repertory of the new and zealous co-director soon received an interesting addition, for in the beginning of the year 1853 Shakspeare’s “Midsummernight’s Dream,” with Mendelssohn’s music, was performed on the Cassel stage for the first time; on which occasion Spohr expressed himself in the following words in a letter to Hauptmann: “The most charming music that I know of Mendelssohn is indeed his music to the “Midsummernight’s Dream,” which has at length been performed here also, and right well. Bott practised the orchestra in the music most assiduously, and for me it was a great enjoyment to be enabled for once to listen as auditor to the performance of good music.” In regard to Spohr’s own labours the same letter then speaks further: “We are now studying ‘Tannhäuser,’ (which the Elector has at length permitted), and we shall give that opera for the first time on Whitmonday. It will be put on the stage with the greatest care and both decorations and costumes will be rich. There is much that is new and beautiful in the opera, but much also that is most distressing to the ear. For the violins and basses it is more difficult than anything I ever yet met with,” &c.

After the first performances of this difficult work had passed off in the most successful manner, Spohr wrote again respecting it to his friend Hauptmann: “‘Tannhäuser’ was performed last night for the third time, and again to a full house. The opera has gained many admirers, by reason of its earnestness and its subject-matter, and when I compare it with others produced of late years, I am also of their way of thinking. With much of what was at first very disagreeable to me I have become familiarised from frequent hearing; but the want of rhythm, and the frequent absence of rounded periods is still to me very objectionable. The manner in which it is performed here is really very fine, and in few places in Germany can be heard with such precision. In the enormously difficult ‘ensembles’ of the singers in the second act, not one single note was omitted last night. But with all that, in several parts these assume a shape which make a downright horrifying music, particularly just before the part previous to where Elizabeth throws herself upon the singers who rush upon Tannhäuser.--What faces would Haydn and Mozart make, were they obliged to hear the stunning noise that is now given to us for music!--The choruses of pilgrims (but which are here supported by clarinets and bassoons p.) were intonated so purely last night, that I became somewhat reconciled for the first time to their unnatural modulations. It is astonishing what the human ear will by degrees become accustomed to!” &c.

Although, as may be inferred from the above remarks, Spohr, with his preminent sentiment for harmony and beautiful, regular forms in music, could not readily reconcile himself to the tonic creations of more modern times, which so frequently deviate from them, he nevertheless took a lively interest in them, and was so anxious to become acquainted with Wagner’s newest opera “Lohengrin,” that while awaiting the as yet witheld permission of the Elector for a full theatrical performance, he determined upon giving some scenes from it at the ensuing winter concerts, and wrote to Hauptmann on the subject as follows: “If you wish to afford us a pleasure by sending something for our winter concerts, let me ask of you the music to ‘Lohengrin.’ I was in correspondence with Wagner this summer, and he knows that I am exerting myself to put that opera upon the stage here, also. He will therefore have no objection to a performance of some scenes beforehand. I shall write to inform him of it also upon a fitting occasion, but I do not like to renew the correspondence on the subject, without being empowered to ask at the same time for the score for our theatre, which will not be before next summer, for the birthday of the Elector.” This expectation was nevertheless not realised, for the Elector’s permission was neither granted for the day appointed, nor upon a subsequent reiterated solicitation; and in this manner Spohr was never enabled to hear this opera, which both in Cassel and other places he had repeatedly striven to do.

With the approach of the vacation of the summer 1853 Spohr made preparation once more (for the sixth and last time) for the journey to England, whence in the month of January he had received, (and as chance would have it upon the same day) two letters of invitation from two wholly different parties. One, from the theatre-director Gye, contained a recapitulation of the plan formed in the previous summer, of bringing out an Italian translation of Spohr’s “Jessonda” during the approaching season; the other, from Dr. Wylde, the director of the recently instituted New Philharmonic Society, contained a pressing invitation to Spohr, to undertake the direction of the grand concerts which the society contemplated giving during the summer months. The latter attractive invitation was the one that decided his yet wavering resolution, since it was of the greatest interest to him to procure a hearing for his grander orchestral compositions, which would there be performed with all that power which was already known to him, before a public who, like all the performers, understood so thoroughly the spirit of his music.

Scarcely had he arrived in London than an agreeable musical surprise awaited him, for on his first visit to Dr. Wylde he was pressed by him to proceed immediately to a morning concert then about to take place, and arrived there just in time to hear an excellent performance of his nonett, and at the conclusion was warmly greeted by the audience, to whom the announcement of the presence of the composer was both an agreeable and sudden surprise. Under similar circumstances he was present the next evening at the last Philharmonic concert in the Hanover Square Rooms, where he was greatly gratified by the very successful performance of his historical symphony, which was enthusiastically applauded. A few days afterwards the first of the concerts of the New Philharmonic Society took place under his personal direction, of which mention is made as follows in a letter written home: “Last evening Spohr consummated the first of his great achievements; the direction of the fine New Philharmonic concerts in Exeter-Hall, where he was again received with the same enthusiasm as formerly, and which was manifested throughout the whole performance. We found our exalted expectations of this gigantic orchestra, wholly composed of musicians of high standing, fully realised, and the impression made by the immense mass in the spacious and densely crowded hall was truly grand and imposing. Even the ninth symphony of Beethoven, abnormal as are many things therein, and especially the last subject, with the ‘song to pleasure,’ executed in the finished manner it was, afforded a real enjoyment. Spohr’s ‘Overture in the severe style’ opened the concert, and had a grand effect; as also that of ‘Jessonda,’ which was even encored. This was followed by the tenor song in ‘Jessonda,’ splendidly sung by Th. Formes, and received with tumultuous applause,” &c.

Not less interesting also was the programme of the last concert directed by Spohr; it comprised besides his own compositions--a quartet concerto, a double symphony, and the overture to the “Mountain Sprite,”--the D major symphony of Beethoven, the overture to “Fidelio,” the duet for two pianofortes of Mendelssohn and Moscheles (executed by Miss Claus and Miss Goddard), and some other pieces. The performance of the whole of the pieces of music was all that could be desired, and in regard to the fine effect of Spohr’s symphony, a letter specially remarks: “The double symphony seemed as though it had been written expressly for such orchestral powers and for this place. The lesser orchestra was, in accordance with several trials made at the rehearsal, placed high up above, and apart; and sometimes between the powerful and imposing masses of tone of the larger orchestra it sounded really like music from another sphere.”

The chief object of Spohr’s journey to London was thus once more fully achieved: but on the other hand the projected performance of “Jessonda” during the same time, met with numerous unexpected obstacles. In order to allow Spohr the number of rehearsals he considered necessary for the study of the work, another opera, also a newly studied one, “Benvenuto Cellini,” by Berlioz, was selected for performance during the intervening opera nights; and as is the custom, was to be repeated several times without further rehearsal. But upon the very first night of its performance, it met with a very unfavourable reception from the public, and Spohr himself, interested as he felt to hear this much-talked-of music, respecting which opinions were so conflicting, was not much edified thereby, as appears from a letter written to his friend Mr. Lüder: “In the opera of Berlioz, which I heard in London this summer, there are some fine things, but scarcely has one begun to feel interested in it, than there comes a something so bizarre and harsh, that all the pleasure one has felt is destroyed. I have a special hatred of this eternal speculating upon extraordinary instrumental effects, for his opera contains without doubt many really happy conceptions both melodic and dramatic, and these are always marred by them. This it was also that displeased the London public, which was at first very favourably disposed towards him, and received him upon his entering the orchestra with loud applause; but as the opera proceeded their dissatisfaction increased, until at length, upon its conclusion, the audience broke out into one general storm of hisses and whistling; a circumstance never known to have occured before at the Italian opera in London in presence of the Queen!--It is with Berlioz as with all the other coryphées of the music of the future; they do not abandon themselves to their natural feelings in their work, but speculate on things which have never yet been. That is the reason why these gifted musicians seldom write anything that is enjoyable, particularly for people who in the last century grew up in the knowledge of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven,” &c. With so explicit an opinion as that pronounced by the London public, the theatrical direction did not dare risk a second performance of the opera, and other operas were obliged to be substituted, which required also several rehearsals, and “Jessonda,” which was as yet only in the first stage of study, was still farther postponed. This, nevertheless, was no great source of uneasiness to Spohr, and the time thus gained was agreeably occupied by him in other musical enjoyments.

On this visit indeed Spohr and his wife found a home replete with every domestic comfort in the house of Dr. A. Farre, who emulated with his kind lady in his attentions towards them, and kindly devoted every hour that his professional engagements permitted to the entertainment of his guests; in this manner a warm friendship was soon established between the two families, and the weeks passed under his roof were ever recalled by Spohr as among the most pleasing of his recollections. As Dr. Farre and several of his medical colleague were very musical and good singers, they had formed themselves, in conjunction with some other families devoted to the art, into a musical circle, in which music of a high class was zealously cultivated, and that of Spohr was more especially the favorite. In a soirée of this kind he had one evening the agreeable surprise to hear his oratorio “Die letzten Dinge” performed by eight and twenty dilettanti with faultless precision, a production which, in rare contrast with the habitual English taste for massive instrumentation, appealed to the feelings in the most pleasing manner by the perfect purity and intensity of its expression. At a brilliant musical soirée given by Dr. Farre himself, in compliment to his guests, a succession of pieces selected from Spohr’s different operas was also given in the most efficient manner, and was subject of no small surprise and gratification both to him and the assembled company.

Meanwhile, the rehearsals of “Jessonda” had slowly proceeded, it is true, but there had arisen so many causes for a delay in its production, that before this could take place, the period of his vacation expired, and Spohr was obliged to leave London for Germany; but in doing so he had the satisfaction of leaving his opera in charge of a worthy representative, Mr. Costa, under whose direction, a fortnight afterwards, it was performed several times with the most brilliant success.

Upon his landing at Calais Spohr was warmly received by the amateurs of music of that town, who had become apprised of the day of his arrival, and he was invited by them to a grand entertainment given in his honour. Its chief feature was a luxurious banquet, but of which also an agreeable musical surprise formed a part; for at the conclusion of the dinner the pleasing notes of Spohr’s C minor quartet were heard in the adjoining apartment, which was followed by the execution of several other pieces, and continued up to the departure of the delighted guests at a late hour. This day, so unexpectedly passed in Calais in the midst of musical and festive enjoyments, was a subject of special gratification to Spohr, as he had least of all expected, here, upon the soil of France, to have met with such proofs of esteem and so much admiration for his music.

On the return journey he was much occupied with an idea which he had conceived in England of a new grand composition for the pianoforte with instrumental accompaniment, and which upon his arrival home he forthwith began with zest and spirit. Thus was produced--in the seventieth year of Spohr’s age--one of his finest masterpieces, the septet for pianoforte, two stringed and four wind instruments, replete with the freshness of youthful thought in every part, with a larghetto which has scarcely its equal in bewitching harmony and beauty of modulations. While yet in manuscript it was publicly performed at the next subscription concert, on which occasion both the composition and the excellence of the execution met with the most favourable reception and acknowledgement. The pianoforte part, which was as grateful as it was difficult, was taken by J. Bott, and the audience testified yet more warmly their just appreciation of his execution from his having displayed also on the same evening his brilliant talent as violin player in Spohr’s 15th. violin concerto. By the desire of the lovers of music of Cassel, a repetition of the new septet was given at the next concert; after which, while yet in manuscript, it was performed at one of the quartet soirées in Leipzic, and the fullest justice done to the pianoforte part by the truly artistic execution of Moscheles, and received there by the public with the most gratifying applause.

For the next summer vacation (1854) Spohr had contemplated another journey to Switzerland; and so great this time was his desire to pass once more the most pleasant summer month in the undisturbed enjoyment of the beauties of nature, that the numerous invitations he had received to the musical festivals in England and Holland were powerless to induce him to relinquish his long previously projected plan. As he was on the eve of departing, he received by telegraph a farther pressing entreaty from his grand-daughter Antonia Wolff at Ratisbonne, who had there married a collegiate professor, a Mr. Schmitz, and who besought him to go by way of the old imperial city, where a visit from him had long been anxiously desired by all lovers of music, and to pass a few days with his grand-children and great-grand-children. Attractive as was this invitation, Spohr with regret felt compelled to decline it, his holidays being so strictly limited; and no railroad existing at that time to Ratisbonne, it would have led him too far out of his projected route.--After a short sojourn at Marburg, Heidelberg, and Baden-Baden--so famed for the beauty of their respective environs--he proceeded to the south of Switzerland, and especially enjoyed the voyage by steamboat upon the magnificent lakes. After a few days’ stay at Lausanne, Geneva, and Vevay, further excursions were then made into the more easily accessible neighbourhood, where all around smiled in summer’s rich attire, while beyond the lake rose in majestic contrast the lofty chain of the Alps, with its snow-capped summits.

Leaving the lake of Geneva the travellers continued their journey to Freiburg and Bern, at both which places quite unexpectedly calls were made upon the interest they took in music. At Freiburg, as soon as they had alighted at the hotel, Spohr was invited to join the other strangers present in a subscription towards the honorarium which it was there customary to tender to the organist of the church of St. Nicholas, for the performance of a piece of music upon its so much celebrated organ. At the appointed hour, just as the shades of evening closed around, the small party assembled, and solemnly pealed the tones of the mighty organ through the spacious and empty aisles of the stately church, producing their wonted powerful effect upon Spohr. The organist, either not aware of the high musical authority before whom he was playing, or thinking to impose on him like the other strangers present by the exhibition of his wonderful artistic skill, struck up suddenly in the most inappropriate manner sundry things from modern operas, and then concluded with such a thundering peal on the instrument that the first exalted impression was wholly obliterated and Spohr could not forbear the undisguised expression of his disapproval of such a profanation of the grand fabric of sounds, which, with its inscription: “In majorem gloriam dei,” seemed rather to him in a more exalted degree worthy alone to intonate the praises of God.

Scarcely arrived in Bern, Spohr was surprised to see notices stuck up at the corners of the streets announcing two concerts of sacred music in which his oratorio “Die letzten Dinge” formed the chief feature of each, though preceded on the first evening by a cantata by Sebastian Bach, and on the second by four of Marcello’s Psalms. The first concert had already taken place the evening before, but as a great number of hearers as well as performers had come in from the neighbouring towns to the second concert, Mr. Edele, the director of the “Society of Ancient Classical Music” at Bern, had made arrangements to give a repetition of the oratorio on the next evening, so that at this second performance of it Spohr was enabled to hear it executed with the greater precision. As the news of Spohr’s presence soon spread through the church, the opportunity was seized of giving the composer of the work which had just been performed with such devout inspiration, a public mark of the great esteem in which he was held in Bern; and in the later part of the evening he was suddenly greeted by a quickly improvised serenade, and addressed in several animated speeches. On the following morning Spohr left Bern, and after spending several pleasant days with his female fellow-travellers in the Bernese Oberland and on the shores of the Vierwaldstädter Lake, he continued his journey across the Lake of Constance to Bavaria and its capital, Munich, where the much-talked-of grand exhibition of industry had just been opened. Though the one week spent there may have been found scarcely sufficient to see all the treasure of art and manufacture which had been collected partly for permanent and partly for a short exhibition only, the travellers do not appear to have thought a longer stay desirable, for they soon experienced also the prejudicial influence of the bodily and mental over-exertion, which, combined with the still more injurious climatic influences which during that disastrous summer carried off so many of the visitors to that then overcrowded city. Under such circumstances nothing could be more desirable than a visit to Alexandersbad, where Dr. Theodor Pfeiffer, a near relative, and proprietor of the cold-water-cure establishment, had long kindly invited them. A short stay in that place, with its healthful mountain air, sufficed to restore their depressed animal spirits, and Spohr gladly joined in all the social parties in their excursions to the romantic environs, and shared in all the cheerful parties of the company at the baths, which in kindly social spirit lived as one family. All this, together with the whole arrangements and rules of life, which were simple and in accordance with nature, were so much to Spohr’s taste, that from that time he always considered Alexandersbad as the beau-ideal of an invigorating summer residence, and after another visit there he firmly maintained that opinion for the rest of his life.

Spohr commenced the following year (1855) with the composition of six four-voice part-songs for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, which were soon after excellently sung at a private concert of the St. Cecilia society with double vocal support, under his own conducting, and aided by his own powerful bass. They made an unusual sensation among the lovers of music present, above all one entitled “Man’s Consolation” (the words by von Müller von der Werra), which went home to all hearts.

In the spring of the same year, Spohr obeyed an invitation from the king of Hanover to direct his double symphony, and several other of his compositions, at a grand concert. Upon his arrival at the railway terminus he was met by music-director Wehner, at the head of a numerous body of musicians and friends of the art, and in the evening at the hotel he was saluted with two serenades, by the military band, and the members of the choral society. On the subject of the pleasant days he passed in Hanover upon that occasion both in a musical and festive point of view, Spohr wrote to his friend Hauptmann: “I enjoyed myself much on my little excursion to Hanover. I played a quartet at the King’s, and it seemed to me that his musical culture went so far as to like that kind of music. At a morning concert got up by the chapel royal to let me hear two of my compositions which they had very carefully practised, I played also my quartet (E minor). The compositions adverted to were the 7th. violin concerto, executed in a very masterly manner by Joachim; and the first double quartet, of which Kömpel played the first violin in the first, and Joachim in that of the second quartet. This also, was played in the most finished manner. On the second day the chapel royal gave a first rehearsal of my symphony, “The Terrestrial and Divine in human Life,” which was followed by a grand dinner, which lasted five hours, and during which the speeches, songs and toasts were numerous and varied. Although much exhausted I was obliged to go to a musical party in the evening given by my old friend Hausmann, where I played two of my quartets, and as on the previous evening, did not get to bed till two o’clock. On the third day there was a grand rehearsal in the forenoon, and in the evening the concert for the benefit of the poor, for which the King had sent me the invitation to come to Hanover. I conducted the first half, consisting of the overture and duett from ‘Jessonda’ and my symphony. All these, executed in a masterly manner, particularly the double symphony, which I never heard better played, not even in London. The small orchestra led by Joachim was composed of the élite of the chapel royal and was very conveniently placed on the stage, so that it was advantageously separated from the large one. The latter was composed of twenty violins, six viols, five violincellos and five counter-basses. It contrasted well therefore by its imposing power, in the sonorous and not too spacious theatre, with the solo orchestra upon the stage. The effect was very satisfactory. But in fact the orchestra is a very superior one, particularly in the stringed instruments. The harmony comprises certainly several distinguished virtuosi, but in ensemble, it is neither so even in tone, nor so pure in intonation as ours. The second part of the concert was conducted by Fischer; it consisted of the overture to “Euryanthe,” Beethoven’s violin concerto (with new, superfluously long, very difficult and ungrateful, cadences by Joachim), and some ‘numbers’ of ‘Lohengrin.’ The concert was crowded and must have brought in a round sum to the poor-box.--On the morning before I left a deputation from the chapel royal presented me with a leader’s bâton more rich and tasteful in design than anything of the kind I ever saw. As I afterwards learned, it was made by order of the king, to be presented to me by the chapel royal. It consists of a beautifully grooved ivory staff with a golden handle richly set with coloured stones, with a similar gold ornamentation at the top, ending in a knob set likewise with small stones. The whole thing is extremely tasteful, and has upon the handle in raised letters: ‘The Royal Hanoverian Chapel to Music-director-general Dr. Spohr, March 31st. 1855.’ The Elector, who sent for the work of art to inspect it, expressed himself, as I am told, upon returning it, with very unreserved dissatisfaction that the inscription did not express ‘Director-general of Music to the Elector,’ and said, “who will know hereafter whose director general of music he was!”[42] &c.

[42] The leader’s bâton here described with such evident satisfaction, formed a worthy companion to a scarcely less costly and tasteful one that Spohr had been presented with by his faithful pupil F. Böhme of Holland. He was always very proud of such appropriate and artistically executed presents, and it was always his custom to take them out of their respective cases with his own hands, and to replace them after use with equal care.

The first impression experienced by Spohr on his return from Hanover, was also an agreeable one, for he found at home a telegraphic message that had arrived during his absence, to the following effect: “Inspruck, March 27th. 1855, 10 m. p. 10 at night. One hundred and fifty dilettanti of Inspruck, who have just performed the music of “Jessonda” with rapturous applause, send to the master their heartfelt greetings.” The letters which subsequently arrived from Inspruck informed him in a more detailed manner, “that the opera had been three times performed there in the national theatre to crowded houses, for the benefit of the fund for the relief of the poor, and in a manner surpassing all expectation, by musical and vocal dilettanti;” and expressed at the same time “the hope that the friends of music in that place would have the gratification of greeting the honoured and veteran composer in their own mountains in the course of the year, and hear again that classic opera under his own personal direction.”

That hope however was not realised, for the journey contemplated this year was in the opposite direction, towards the north; first to Hamburg, where Spohr had not been since the great fire in 1842, and was therefore greatly interested to see the magnificent manner in which it had been rebuilt. Fully satisfied in that expectation, he had at the same time the pleasure of seeing again several much-loved friends (among whom the family of the Grunds), and to hear many successful musical performances, both in private and public circles.--Being so near to the sister town Lubeck, to which his wife was still fondly attached, and for whose kind-hearted inhabitants he himself, since his visit in the year 1840, had a predilection, it was natural that both should much desire to make a trip thither, upon the railway which had since then been opened to connect the two towns. Although it is true that during the fifteen years which had elapsed, many former friends had gone to their last rest, yet the venerable old instructor was still living, and met his former lady pupil and her renowned husband with the same warmth of heart. Verging upon eighty years of age, he had recently retired from professional life, but the institution he had so long successfully directed flourished still, conducted in the same spirit by his worthy son Dr. Adam Meier; and Spohr and his wife, deeply moved by his touching kindness, took up their abode beneath the hospitable roof that was so endeared to them by past recollections.--As the interests of music were also well represented by Kapellmeister Hermann, a former pupil and a warm partizan of Spohr, the days passed agreeably in social intercourse with old friends and new acquaintances.

In the course of the year 1855 Spohr wrote his 33rd. violin quartet (Op. 152, published by Siegel of Leipzic) and three grand duets for two violins (Op. 148, 150 and 153, published by Peters of Leipzic) which last he dedicated to the brothers Alfred and Henry Holmes of London. Neither could he have commended his work to better hands to ensure a performance and publicity worthy of them, for although those young artists never had the advantage of his personal instruction, yet by dint of a diligent study of his “Violin School,” they had become so penetrated with the spirit of his composition and his style of play, that Spohr during his last stay in England had been exceedingly gratified to hear his older violin duets executed by the two talented youths in a really masterly manner; and when a few years afterwards, upon an artistic tour on the continent, they visited Cassel, they caused, as Spohr himself remarks in a letter: “everywhere the greatest sensation by their splendid play, and especially excited admiration by the highly finished and surprising performance of his duets and concertantes.”

In the spring of 1856 Spohr received a letter from a former pupil, the director of music Kiel, of Detmold; where upon, at the desire of his Prince, he proposed to Spohr the composition of some songs for a baritone voice, with pianoforte and violin accompaniment. Although doubtful at first that such a combination would be suited to a deep male voice, he nevertheless interested himself in the trial, and in a short time he wrote a collection of six songs of the required kind, with which he himself felt highly satisfied. He then gave a hearing of them in manuscript to his musical friends in his own house, in which he himself took the violin part, which had proved of a somewhat difficult nature, and gave the voice part to Heinrich Osthoff an ex-concert-singer, who for some years past had been settled in Cassel as a teacher of music, and who from his particularly excellent and expressive execution of all Spohr’s song pieces, sacred and otherwise, was a welcome guest in all musical circles. In Detmold also, the new songs dedicated to the Prince were very favorably received, and the Prince, as his director of music informed Spohr, sang them every day with increased satisfaction. When Spohr shortly afterwards forwarded the first printed presentation copy (published by Luckhardt of Cassel, Op. 154) to the musical prince, the latter in an autograph letter of thanks thus expressed himself: “that the great pleasure the fine songs already gave him would be yet increased when he should have the opportunity of singing them with Spohr’s own accompaniment.” The obliging letter was at the same time accompanied by a valuable souvenir, in the shape of a shirt-pin with the appropriately selected emblems of an oak-leaf in green gold, with an acorn of pearl set in gold, presented to Spohr as an honourable acknowledgement “of his true German worth as musician and as man.”

The first weeks of the summer vacation were passed by Spohr in a very pleasant and recreative journey to Dresden, Saxon Switzerland and Prague; after which, having reposed a short time in his own beautiful flower-garden, he undertook a journey into the Harz, at the solicitation of an enthusiastic musical friend, the jurisconsult Haushalter of Wernigerode.

The increased leisure time gained by Spohr in consequence of the appointment of his new colleague he now devoted to composition, for which, despite his advanced age, the impulse and love had not yet diminished. Though his musical ideas may no longer have flowed so copiously, and assumed as readily the form he wished, as in former years, and though he himself at times expressed doubts as to whether his later works would take equal rank with his earlier compositions, yet he frequently received an enthusiastic recognition of the merit of his newest compositions from quite unexpected quarters, which always gave him fresh courage to continue his musical creations.

Spohr now determined to write another quartet (his 34th.), upon terminating which he immediately opened the winter series of his still continued quartet circle with it. Although this new composition was considered extremely fresh and charming by both co-operators and auditory, yet he himself was so little satisfied with it, that after repeated alteration, which were rejected as soon as made, he laid aside the whole quartet as a failure; nor did he write another until a whole twelvemonth had elapsed: this differed in every respect from the former, and he substituted it for it under the same number. Upon its first performance at the quartet meeting this piece of music pleased him right well; but shortly afterwards it seemed to him to require many improvements, and as these did not turn out to his satisfaction, sorrowfully, but resigned to the consciousness that he could no longer carry out in a satisfactory manner the ideas which floated before his fancy, he associated the new 34th. quartet with that which he had previously rejected, and expressed the wish to his wife that neither should at any time be made public.

He came to a similar decision in respect to a symphony which he had composed shortly before, which was performed once only in the presence of a few only of his most intimate musical friends, at a rehearsal by the court orchestra of Cassel. Notwithstanding the numerous beauties and novelties in thought which it contains, to him nevertheless it did not appear worthy of being placed in the fine catalogue of his earlier written symphonies, and in this manner by himself was this--his tenth--symphony condemned, not to destruction it is true, but to eternal concealment.

In the summer of 1857 Spohr availed himself of the vacation to go to Holland, his former visit there being still borne by him in pleasing recollection, he had therefore long been desirous of proceeding thither with his wife to shew her that country, as yet unvisited by her, and remarkable for so many peculiarities. Little as he had calculated upon any musical enjoyments there at such a season of the year, his pleasure was great to hear on the very first evening at Verhulst’s, in Rotterdam, in a numerous circle of musicians and lovers of music, several quartets both of his own and of Verhulst’s composition, upon which occasion the violinist Tours, whose acquaintance he had formerly made, proved himself a great virtuoso, as first violin. The director of music Böhm, of Dortrecht, who had shown from his youth a strong attachment to the honoured master, exhibited it anew by the unwearying attention with which he strove to alleviate all the cares and difficulties of travel in a foreign country, and took them wholly upon himself. Willingly following the arrangements of the excellent “travelling marshall,” as Spohr was wont playfully to call him, the travellers were now enabled to see the many remarkable objects in the chief cities of Holland in a comparatively much shorter time, after which a further journey was undertaken from Amsterdam to that part of North Holland lying beyond the Y. The singular topographical feature of the whole country, the meadows intersected by innumerable canals and lakes, meadows covered with grazing cattle, the hundreds of gaily painted windmills, the cheerful blue sky, and the easy travelling upon the smoothly paved highroads, more like the parquetted floors of an apartment--in short, the whole delightful journey, with its interesting final objects, the celebrated places Saardam and Broek, presented a succession of charming pictures that surpassed all expectation and put Spohr in particular in the most cheerful possible mood.

Their kind “marshall” Böhm accompanied the travellers on their return as far back as Utrecht, but placed them there in good hands, under the hospitable roof of one of Spohr’s grateful pupils, the director of music Kufferath, with whom they passed some exceedingly pleasant days. As the country round Utrecht abounds with handsome country-seats and parks, these furnished occasion for frequent delightful walks with the family of their host; and the musical entertainments given to Spohr--a quickly arranged organ-concert got up by Nieuvenhuisen, the organist of the cathedral, and a grand serenade by torch-light in the evening--made the memory of those days worthy of being associated with the pleasing reminiscences of his former visit.

On the return-journey Spohr stopped a day at Cologne, where Hiller, the director of music, quickly improvised a brilliant dinner-party in his honour, and afterwards gratified him with the performance of some highly interesting musical pieces in his own house. Hiller himself played with great spirit a recently composed sonata for the pianoforte of extreme difficulty of execution, some numbers of the comic opera composed by him called: “Jest, cunning and revenge,” which was received with universal satisfaction, and by Spohr in particular with lively applause. This was succeeded later in the evening by a musical surprise; the celebrated Cologne choral society, wholly composed of male voices, had assembled in all silence in the hotel, and at the door of their honoured guest sang their finest songs in the most masterly manner, which, together with a spirited address, spoken by professor Bischof, afforded him very great pleasure.

Gratified in every respect with his journey, Spohr returned to Cassel, where, reinvigorated and refreshed, he devoted himself with his usual zeal and interest to the materially lightened labours of his office, shared now with his young and active colleague.

Meanwhile, at that time was heard here and there the report that it was contemplated to pension him off; but when he was apprised of this by a friend, and it was put to him whether he would not rather anticipate such an intention by proposing himself to retire upon his pension, he replied with decision, that: his duty and inclination impelled him alike to remain in the performance of his official engagements so long as he could fulfil them satisfactorily. Thus things remained on the old footing, until on the 14th. November, both contrary to his wish and expectation, he received the following rescript from the Elector:

“In pursuance of our most gracious will and pleasure, we have granted to the director-general of music and court Kapellmeister at our court-theatre, Dr. Louis Spohr, by reason of his advanced years, permission to retire into private life, and have been further pleased to grant him a yearly pension of 1500 Thalers from our court treasury from the date of the month next ensuing. The department of our lord high marshall of the palace will make the further dispositions to that effect. Cassel, November 12, 1857. Friedrich Wilhelm.”

Painfully affected as Spohr was upon the receipt of this, he with his usual good sense soon overcame the shock of the first impression and contemplated the matter on its brighter side; in which sense he then gave expression to his sentiments in his letters to distant friends, and among others, in replying shortly afterwards to the director of music Bott respecting other affairs, he wrote as follows; “You do not appear to have yet learned that the Elector, without my solicitation, has placed me in retirement, and although the terms of my engagement specified that my salary should be paid so long as I lived, he has pensioned me off on 1500 Thalers per annum. It has nevertheless appeared in all the newspapers, together with the account of the festive form in which I directed for the last time the opera of Jessonda at the theatre. At first it gave me very great pain, for I felt still perfectly competent to conduct the few operas which latterly fell to my share. But I soon learned to estimate my present freedom at its real value, and now feel very glad that whenever I choose I can get away by rail whithersoever my fancy takes me! I have submitted also to the deduction from my salary, having been informed that I should not be able to compel the payment of the full salary without a new law-suit, and because it was repulsive to my feelings to take the whole amount without performing any service for it, and I can live very well with three-fourths of it by means of my savings!”

Thus terminated Spohr’s personal co-operation at opera and concert. But that he still cherished as warm an interest in the latter his letters to distant friends attest, and in this spirit he wrote on December 22nd. to Mr. Lüder: “Since we were at your house, we have had here the second subscription concert! It was the first concert that took place in Cassel without my co-operation, and at which I was present from beginning to end as an auditor. It consisted of carefully rehearsed music: the two finales from “Zemire and Azor” and “Euryanthe;” of instrumental music Mozart’s C major symphony with the fugue (called Jupiter); of concert things Beethoven’s violin concerto with Joachim’s cadences, and a concert piece by Moscheles for two pianofortes, called Hommage à Händel, very correctly and effectively played by Messrs. Reiss and Tivendell. The concert opened with the overture to “Rosamunda” by Schubert, one of his youthful works, but which is very pleasing, and was quite new to me. Reiss has again achieved great praise both by his arrangement and by his careful rehearsal and study of the music.” In the same letter he farther says: “We have also had again two quartet parties, and I am happy to say, that I am still all right at the violin, only I must always prepare myself a few days before, which was not necessary some years ago![43]”

[43] These quartet evenings in the society of a few of the families of his most intimate friends, were always a source of great pleasure to Spohr. Every year, on the approach of winter, he took early steps for their re-arrangement, and generally opened the series in his own house. Painful as it was to him whenever the death of one of the members of the circle caused a vacancy therein, the loss of his two oldest and most faithful friends, chief director von Schmerfeld and Lord marshall von der Malsburg, who had died in the two previous years, was long and deeply deplored by him.

The at this time still powerful impulse to compose, on the one hand, and the dread of being no longer capable of producing anything good and new on the other, gave rise to many painful struggles in the mind of Spohr,--till one morning he entered his wife’s apartment, and with a cheerful countenance announced to her that he had found the right way to get out of the difficulty. He had resolved upon writing a requiem, and had already conceived some fine ideas for it; he had the greatest hopes that he would be able to complete it, and produce a worthy conclusion to his numerous works. In happy and inspired mood he now immediately went to work; and in a few days wrote the first subjects, but this pleasure, like that which he had shortly before boasted of in his quartet play, was soon dissipated. On the second day after Christmas Day, while on his wonted way to the reading room of the museum in the evening twilight he had the misfortune to fall over the stone steps at the entrance, and to break his left arm. Beyond all expectation, nevertheless, the fractured limb was happily healing fast, and when, after a lapse of several months, with anxious fear of the result, he once more took up his violin, to draw the first tones from it, the trial seemed quite satisfactory. But after several days’ practice, followed up with great perseverance, he nevertheless became convinced to his great sorrow that his arm would never recover its lost strength and elasticity; upon which, as in this also he could no longer satisfy himself, deprived of another of the most precious elements of his existence, with a grieving heart he laid by his beloved violin!

Meanwhile, notwithstanding, many wished-for opportunities presented themselves elsewhere to Spohr, to keep alive his interest in musical enjoyments and to cheer him with the performance of his greater works. Scarcely was he recovered from the fracture of his arm, than he accepted an invitation to Magdeburg, to hear the performance of his oratorio, “Des Heilands letzte Stunden,” which was to take place there on Good Friday. With this performance he expressed himself highly pleased, in a letter to Mr. Lüders: “Orchestra, choruses, and solo-singers were alike excellently practised in their respective parts, and the effect, in the church of St. Ulrich, which is so favorably constructed for sound, was indeed heavenly. The solo-voices, for the most part belonging to the Seebach choral society, were particularly fine, harmonious and powerful dilettante singers, and led by their director Mühling they were so penetrated with the true spirit of the composition, that I was quite taken by surprise, and delighted!

The accompaniment also of the solo instruments in the grand air of Mary in the second part was very fine; for Grimm the harpist had been sent for from Berlin, and the other solo instruments--violin, violincello and horn--were played by members of the present orchestra of the Magdeburg theatre, who are, as luck would have it, virtuosi.”

In a similar letter of the 6th. April to Hauptmann, in speaking of his further contemplated plans of journey, he says: “Whether all these excursions will be carried into effect, is not yet decided; but for the rest of my life my artistic enjoyments are limited to them; for I am now perfectly convinced, that I cannot accomplish any great work more. I regret to say, that my last attempt of the kind failed, and my requiem remains a fragment; nevertheless, as the subject as far as the Lacrimosa dies illa, at which I stuck fast, pleases me well, and seems to have much that is new and ingenious in it, I shall not destroy it, as I should like to take it up again, and will make another attempt to complete it.”

This attempt, to which with much perseverance he devoted half a day, proved however a failure, and brought him finally to the avowed painful determination to relinquish composition entirely; as he did not feel capable of putting his musical ideas into a distinct shape. At the conclusion of the letter adverted to, he says further: “I thank you heartily for your kind wishes upon my birth-day! Notwithstanding my present low spirits on account of my artistic impotency, I nevertheless passed it agreeably enough. That may have arisen from my happily performed journey.” Scarcely three weeks afterwards, Spohr, again full of pleasurable anticipation, set out anew, and this time to Bremen, where the director of music Engel purposed to open his recently established choral society with the public performance of Spohr’s oratorio, “The Fall of Babylon,” a great undertaking, but so worthily executed that Spohr himself was greatly surprised and deeply moved.

For the beginning of July Spohr had been invited to Prague, where the half-centennial anniversary of the Conservatory of that city was to be celebrated by three grand musical performances--among which was his opera “Jessonda.” The celebration of divine service in the cathedral on the first morning was followed in the evening by a grand concert in the theatre. It began with a new Symphony by Kittl, the director of the conservatory, which, like the other Pièces d’Ensemble, was performed by the pupils of the institution; while the solo-pieces were executed by foreign resident musicians who had received their education there; among these, the celebrated violinists Dreyschock and Laub. “On the second evening,” in the words of the “Tagesboten aus Böhmen,” “not only in honour of the great musician present, but in order to give every true lover of art a right festive evening, the ‘Jessonda’ of Dr. Louis Spohr was selected, and Prague had this time the satisfaction of seeing the inspired and still vigorous veteran conduct the performance of his work himself.... As Spohr took his place at the conductor’s desk, which was hung with wreaths of laurel and ornamented with a crown of the same, he was received by the densely crowded house, which comprised all the leading artists and lovers of music of Prague, with long and enthusiastic applause. At every moment of interest, of which the fascinating “Jessonda,” (the not yet surpassed model of German lyrical opera) is one uninterrupted beautiful chain, the most gratifying acclamations were first directed to the master, and then to the singers. After the second act, the venerable poet of sweet sounds was vehemently called forward upon the stage, as also after the last act, when another crown of laurel was thrown to him.... The conducting of the honoured master Spohr is still marked by unimpaired vigour, and attention to every detail; his stroke of the baton has its usual characteristic stamp” &c. The concert spirituel, which had been arranged for the third evening, as the finale to the musical part of the festival, comprised as chief subject, the ninth Symphony of Beethoven; but at the grand dinner given on the following day, a series of select musical pieces was performed, and the opportunity seized, both by loud calls for the repetition of the overture to “Jessonda,” and every possible mode of demonstration, to honour Spohr, the Nestor of the numerously congregated musicians, as the king of the feast. Not less however than by all these demonstrations was he gratified by the kind anticipation of his wishes with the invitation to visit the country-house in the neighbourhood of Prague which had been hallowed by Mozart’s lengthened residence; to which the present proprietor Herr Popelka himself accompanied him, to shew him the room, which Spohr also looked upon as sacred ground, where Mozart had composed his “Don Juan.”

Spohr was less fortunate upon his return journey in realising a long-cherished and ardent wish. He had for several years vainly endeavoured to hear upon a foreign stage Mozart’s opera “Idomeneo,” which he had never been able to give a performance of in Cassel, and which was known to him only in the pianoforte selection. With this object also, already in the beginning of the summer, apart from and independent of his subsequently promised visit to Prague, he had projected a journey to Dresden, for the reason, as he then expressed in a letter to his friend Lüder--“that with the constantly increasing dearth in the repertory of modern operas, an as yet unheard opera of Mozart was too important an event, and for him an artistic necessity too great, that he should not joyfully undertake even a much longer journey to hear it.” Long previously he had written on the subject to his friend the director of music Reissiger, and at length thought to see his hope realized in Dresden, either before or after the Prague musical festival. Unfortunately, however, owing to the absence of the chief singers of the opera, it could not be carried out, and so, consoling himself meanwhile till the autumn, he took the road to Alexandersbad, where during a pleasant sojourn of a week, he reposed from the exertion of the previous journey in the enjoyment of the quiet relaxation he so much desired.

Greatly gratified, and visibly refreshed as Spohr again returned from this pleasant excursion to Alexandersbad, yet from that period he exhibited a constantly increasing low-spirited and thoughtful mood, which was so opposite to his former manner. To his wife, who vainly tried every means to cheer him, he would then reply after a protracted and earnest silence, that he was weary of life, as he could no longer be doing; that he had enjoyed to exhaustion all that mortal life could given, and lived to see a more widely spread recognition and love for his music than he even could have hoped for,--that now he ardently wished for death, before the infirmities of old age completely prostrated him. Nevertheless he always felt cheerfully moved again by invitations to new journeys, and musical enjoyments, of which several presented themselves in the autumn. In September namely, the journey to Wiesbaden to the musical festival of the Middle-Rhine, and in October to Leipsic, to the performance of his own and other works which particularly interested him, at the Gewandhaus concert, at the conservatory and at the church,--on which occasions he at both places followed the musical performances with persevering interest and pleasure, and received with lively satisfaction the various ovations of which he was the object. Although upon this journey to Leipsic, and lastly also to Dresden, he found no opportunity to realise his most ardent expectation to hear the “Idomeneo,” he nevertheless was somewhat compensated for the disappointment by the kindness of the Frankfort theatrical Intendant, who on his previously expressed wish, announced Cherubini’s opera of “Medea” for the evening of his arrival there, on his way through to Wiesbaden, and thus afforded him the high enjoyment of hearing that classically beautiful music.

As with the decrease in the length of the days and with the gloom of winter, the sleeplessness and nervous excitement which had affected him so prejudicially at Leipsic also, increased during the long nights, and from that time slowly but obviously augmented; leaving as their result a still greater debility and uneasiness during the day; his cheerfulness abandoned him entirely.--Shortly after his visit to Leipsic, where the orchestral pieces under the excellent direction of Rietz gave him especial pleasure, he wrote among other things to Hauptmann.... “I cannot express to you how this time all the music I heard in Leipsic pleased me.... From the devotional sentiment which your motette raised in me on Sunday, I envy you not a little the energy with which you still continue to work, while with me it is all over with composing and with violin play! Yesterday I received from Zellner, the musical critic at Vienna, the intelligence that one of my oratorios is to be performed there, and he invited me on the part of the originators of the design, to come and direct it myself. For several years the Austrian society had contemplated giving my ‘Fall of Babylon’ as a musical festival in the Imperial Riding School; but then, even with the aid of Metternich, I could not get permission to go there. Now, when I could get away, as I am an invalid, and the journey too far and fatiguing, I am obliged to renounce it. I shall therefore decline the invitation and content myself with shorter journeys in the fine season of the year. But on such occasions, struggles with my inclinations and low spirits always follow! and so one is induced to envy the lot of several who were personally known to me, who of late died suddenly....” Impressed with similar painful thoughts and not without many inward struggles, Spohr wrote the letter to decline the invitation that he received at that time to Königsberg, to the centenary Händel Festival, where he had been chosen to direct the magnificent “Messiah” and one of his own works; and where it was intended to pay to him, as sole worthy representative of the great Händel, all the homage and honours which could not be rendered to Händel personally, in all the overflowing fulness of their warmth.[44]

[44] To the many marks of honour which Spohr still received in the latter years of his life must be added also his nomination to the honorary membership of the “Musical Society,” which had just previously been instituted in London. Upon the occasion of his presentation with this diploma, an enumeration of the various diplomas which he had already been presented with gave an amount of Thirty-eight, among which was one from New York, from Buenos-Ayres, St. Petersburg, and Stockholm, with two from Rome and two from Holland.

As Spohr for many years had been considered by the whole musical world as the highest authority in everything that pertained to his art, a day seldom passed without bringing applications or requests of some kind, frequently from the most distant localities, which his ever-ready disposition to oblige never permitted him to leave unnoticed, but to which, now although with a heavy heart, he was more and more compelled to waive replying. One application nevertheless may here be mentioned, which, coming at a particularly favourable moment, rekindled his zest to make a last essay at composition, and which in reality also was his last! For many years he had been repeatedly solicited in the most irresistible words by Mr. Chr. Schad, the publisher of the Almanack of the German Muses, to write a few little songs for it, and Spohr had each time the satisfaction to learn that those willingly bestowed little contributions were received with a more than usual approbation. In the autumn of 1857, when with considerable timidity he had endeavoured to satisfy Mr Schad’s urgent wish for a composition for the words of the old ballad of Walter von der Vogelweide, “the silent nightingale,” he received a very poetical letter of thanks expressing the writers “admiration of the musical sentiment and depth of feeling with which the beautiful ballad had been rendered by the composer,” and that “it is a great satisfaction for a German heart that two masters of his nation, although separated by an interval of six hundred years, should have exhibited the rich treasures of their inmost feelings, in so noble, so simple and so harmonious a form of words and tone,” &c. Now at length, in October 1858, six months after having laid aside his incompleted requiem as his last composition, he received another letter, beginning with the words: “Your silent nightingale which built her harmonious nest in the thick verdure of last year’s Almanack of the Muses, has met with the loudest approbation of the German nation for the very eloquence of that silence. And who better than the loved great master Spohr would know how to utter sounds more replete with the soul’s harmony,--who know how to move more deeply and purely a German heart! No wonder is it that I again knock at your door to-day. I come in the name of, and at the request of, more than eighty of the best hearts and heads in Germany, who have chosen me as their standard-bearer for a noble patriotic object.... I lay before you three of the most beautiful of Göthe’s songs for your unrestricted choice, and resign myself to the pleasing hope of seeing one or the other enveloped in a melodious garb by your master-hand.” And, indeed, already on the following morning his wife heard with joyful emotion the sound of the long-silent keys of the pianoforte, in his room, and his still pleasing voice as he sang in accompaniment. A few hours afterwards he came also with a look of pleasure to fetch her, to sing to her forthwith the new music he had composed to Goethe’s “Herz, mein Herz, was soll das geben,” having already completed it as regarded the chief thing; though the rhythm and conclusion not being yet to his fancy, would require a longer time to finish. When however, his wife, greatly pleased with the lively, pretty melody, could not refrain from making the observation that it had a very striking resemblance to Beethoven’s composition to the same words, he assured her that he had no knowledge of it, or at least no recollection of it at all, but expressed the wish to have it procured, in order to satisfy himself of the resemblance.--With his own song he was now tolerably satisfied, and said, with truth also, that it would have a very good effect, if those who sung it did not spoil it by too slow a Tempo, as was so frequently the case with his compositions, a remark which is in so far characteristic, as Spohr, so often as he heard his works performed abroad, or not under his own immediate direction, always felt annoyed by the time being taken frequently too slow, but scarcely ever complained of one taken too fast. When at length the new song was studied under his superintendance by his niece Emma Spohr, who, gifted with a fine voice, always sung songs of the kind in the family-circle, he sang to her himself with the most lively emotion, and with almost breathless rapidity, the three closely following strophes, without interlude, to encourage her to a similar execution. But a few weeks afterwards, when he again caught sight of the manuscript, he said, with a sorrowful expression of face, that the song was worthless, and regretted that he had sent it for publication in the Almanack of the Muses!

As evidence of his restless impulse to be usefully active, one instance may here be adduced:

When, after breaking his arm, he was compelled to give up violin playing himself, he thought also that he could no longer give satisfaction as a Teacher of his instrument; he had dismissed his last violin pupils, young persons without pecuniary means whom he instructed from a humane feeling and zeal for the art.--But now, in December 1858, he again resumed his labours as a beneficent instructor, and expressed himself to Hauptmann upon the subject in the following words: “In order still to be somewhat actively engaged in the cause of art, I have commenced giving pianoforte lessons gratis to a young lady who wishes to qualify herself for a teacher of that instrument. But when it is requisite to play anything to my pupil, I am of course obliged to call my wife or sister-in-law to my assistance.”

In this manner, the this time especially dreaded winter,--his last--had come! On New Year’s morning 1859, after a sleepless and restless night passed in a state of painful nervous excitement, he received in earnest silence the wishes of the season from his family and friends,--but still looked forward with hope to a “fine spring and summer,” which he contemplated passing happily once more, partly at home among his favorite flowers, and partly in little journeys. For such journeys, which his friends always designated as “little triumphal excursions,” the most alluring invitations had again long been received from all sides, but of these of course he could only accept those which were to places most easily accessible. When upon such occasions with an effusion of grateful satisfaction he gave utterance to his feelings in the words: “It often seems to me as though all the world thought only of conferring upon me a very feast of pleasure before I die,” it was unfortunately always followed by the sad addition: “but no one knows how miserable I feel, and no one can relieve me of my sufferings.”--With almost morbid impatience he now looked forward to the next spring, when he had proposed to himself, at the special request of John J. Bott, who was now appointed director of music at the court orchestra of Meiningen, to proceed thither, to direct the concert which was then to be given for the benefit of the widow’s relief fund. The few hours occupied by the journey on the newly-opened Werra railway were easy and comfortable to him, and upon his reception at the terminus of Meiningen Spohr was particularly gratified at meeting once more both his favorite pupils Grund and Bott, who greeted their honoured master with expressions of the heartiest welcome, and who the next day were unwearied in showing their grateful attachment to him in every possible manner. Immediately on the first evening, as a further festive welcome, a grand serenade by torch-light was given to him, in which under Bott’s conducting (in the Spohr style), male choral and four-part-songs interchanged alternately with the music of the full orchestra; and at the close, at the moment when the cheers of the assembled crowds were loudest, the whole living mass was suddenly illumined by the coloured fires of a brilliant sun, which disclosed also to view, as though by magic, the fine parks opposite the house. At the rehearsal for the concert on the following evening, Spohr found all the musical pieces so carefully studied and in accordance with all his intentions, that he could look forward with pleasing certainty to its performance on the next evening, and the more so, as the two directors of music, Grund and Bott, felt an especial pleasure in resuming their former places under the direction of their master, as co-operating violinists in the orchestra, and in thus giving him the most powerful support.

The “Meininger Tageblatt” makes mention of the concert in the following terms: “Upon the stage, between branches of palm and laurel, was placed a collossal bust of Spohr. The conductor’s desk had been decorated by female hands with ingenious devices and garlands of flowers. The house, filled to overflowing, awaited in breathless suspense the appearance of the famed old master. ‘He comes!’ ... was whispered through the spacious house, and a thousand-tongued welcome of joy greeted the honoured man. In a few minutes afterwards he had lifted the conductor’s baton--a solemn silence immediately ensued; and in a few moments the first notes of the symphony “Die Weihe der Töne” resounded. The eyes of all were directed to the Nestor of the science of music, who brought to our mind the Olympian Jove--omnia supercilio moventis. All the orchestral assistants felt the importance of the moment, and lent their most efficient aid. The same calm which everywhere breathes through the works of this musician was seen also in his conducting. Not the least fraction of a beat was thrown away--in all and everywhere, were seen the director of orchestra and the musicians, as a grand impersonated whole, achieving in every part a fresh triumph. The honoured poet of sweet sounds directed besides his grand symphony, five other of his works, and with so steady a hand, that the crowded house was filled with admiration.” ... This part of the concert in which Spohr wielded for the last time the conductor’s baton, comprised among the rest, his concertante in H minor, which was executed by director of music Bott and concert-master Müller in a masterly manner, and gave him great pleasure. In appropriate choice followed the overture to the “Mountain Sprite,” with which thirty-four years before he had opened the festive celebration of the marriage of the ducal pair. As upon that occasion the exalted couple listened with pleasure to the tones of the master, and exhibited a warm interest not only by their presence at the rehearsal and performance, but by the most marked attentions; and the duke, who many years previously had presented Spohr with the cross of knighthood of the order of the house of Saxe-Ernest, changed it upon this occasion for the grand cross of the order.--The last evening in Meiningen was further celebrated in honour of Spohr by a grand masonic fête, which afforded him no less gratification; as also a hearty written testimony of thanks addressed to him by the intendant of the court orchestra, Mr. von Liliencron, from which, as it refers to Spohr’s last appearance as conductor, we may here cite some words, which will perpetuate the memory of that day: “The house filled to the very utmost,--the enthusiastic acclamations,--the flowers and wreaths, testified to you yesterday, how fascinated we all were by your tones, how deeply moved at the sight of the loved and highly honoured master. If the recollection of that delightful evening will remain indelibly impressed upon all who were present, so will the benign purpose of that concert impress the recollection of your appearance among us; for in future years, when it shall be read what was presented on the 12th. April 1859 to the widows and orphans by the court orchestra of Meiningen, it will be said: that was the day on which Spohr, the master, wielded the conductor’s baton in our midst.”

A second journey undertaken shortly after by Spohr, was to the pleasant little princely residence of Detmold, where he was again welcomed by a grateful pupil, the director of music Kiel, and its art-loving prince, in a similar manner as in Meiningen, with two successive days of festivities in his honour. The proffered direction of a grand concert solely embracing his own compositions he had firmly declined, and as auditor could therefore give himself up more completely to the enjoyment of his own excellently performed music, two numbers of which in particular afforded him exceeding pleasure; the performance namely by his former pupils Kiel and concertmaster Bargheer, who together executed his A minor concertante, and the symphony “Die Jahreszeiten”--a favorite and prominent point of excellence with the court orchestra of Detmold--and which he had especially chosen by a previously communicated request.

Returned once more to Cassel after a week happily passed in the midst of the enjoyment of art and nature, Spohr unhappily could no longer conceal from himself, that even these short journeys were now followed by many painful results, in the shape of a yet more increased nervous restlessness at night--yet his spirit soon yearned again for diversity and change of place, and especially towards his favorite Alexandersbad, where he confidently hoped a longer stay in the fine air of that locality would again induce an improvement in his health, and particularly restore his sleep at night. Strengthened in this belief by the opinion of his ever-sympathising and watchful medical attendant Dr. Ad. Harnier, he set out for Alexandersbad, where he remained some weeks. His health improved, and he passed better nights. But on his return he visited Würzburg, and was present at the performance of his “Letzte Dinge;” and this, and his reception, and the leave-taking, made such an impression on him, that it went far to neutralize the improvement in his health that had taken place at Alexandersbad.

His pleasure at hearing good music remained with him to the last, for which reason he never missed a concert, and even frequently went to the theatre, where above all things the music so dear to his heart--the operas of Mozart--ever filled him anew with the fresh transports of a youthful joy.--At home he passed the greater part of the day in reading, but no longer as formerly in that of political journals and instructive scientific works, which had excited and absorbed his interest,--he now delighted rather in entertaining moral works, simple novels that appealed to the heart, and the like, which for the time distracted his attention from his suffering condition.--At frequent intervals he would request his wife to play something to him, and herein he would shew a preference for the pianoforte music of Bach and Mendelssohn, yet without withdrawing his interest from the productions of more modern composers.

A pleasing diversion in the uniform sameness of his everyday life, was afforded to him in the first days of October by a visit to the princess Anna, wife of prince Frederick, the heir apparent to the Hessian throne, at the express invitation of that princess, during a residence of some days at Cassel in the Bellevue palace. Upon his return he related with feelings of pleasure the amiable anticipatory attentions of the princess, who, in consideration of Spohr’s greater convenience, had descended with her husband and child, prince Wilhelm, then five years old, to an apartment on the ground-floor, where he was received, and where after a lengthened pleasing conversation with the princely pair, she, at the conclusion, besought him with the most winning kindliness of manner, to write a few lines by way of souvenir in her album. In satisfaction of this request, on the 7th. October, he wrote, though indeed with a weak and tremulous hand, yet with his usual readiness, a particularly requested passage of the well-known duett in “Jessonda,” in the costly album that had been forwarded to his house.

On Sunday the 16th. October, a change, at first scarcely observable, evinced itself in his condition: an expression of calm contentment such as not had been seen for a long time, settled on his features; in spite of the preceding restless night, of the obvious continual bodily sufferings and increasing debility no more complainings were heard to fall from his lips; yet he was more than usually silent, and though he replied in a kind tone to every inquiry adressed to him, it was as short as possible. In the afternoon, on rising from the dinner-table, he stood for a long time at the open door of the house, musing as he gazed upon the rich autumnal beauties of his flower-garden,--but upon the proposition of his wife to take his coffee outside under the bower, he replied, that he wished to take it that day in his room, and that she with her sister would play something to him. This of course was with pleasure immediately complied with. After he had listened to some symphonies arranged for four hands,--apparently as though half-lost in a dream, yet as might be inferred from many remarks that fell from him, with much attention, he requested further by way of conclusion, his newest quintet (Op. 144, G-minor) with the piano-forte arrangement of which for four hands he had but shortly before become acquainted; to this also he listened with full interest and obvious satisfaction. After the last theme he inquired: “How long ago may it be that I wrote that?” and when his wife, who could not immediately remember the year, replied it might be perhaps three or four years ago,--he said with a sigh: “Then there I did still succeed in effecting it! and now I can no longer do so!” With these words he rose from his chair, to prepare for his customary evening walk to the reading rooms, which, despite all his weakness and some admonitions from his wife, he nevertheless slowly, and supported by her, still persevered in. But feeling exceedingly anxious at home respecting him, she despatched a devotedly attached servant to see after him, much earlier than he had been ordered to bring him back: upon which, in a condition of extreme debility, he immediately permitted himself to be led home, and shortly after his frugal supper to be put to bed. After the usual parting evening kiss, he said to his wife: “he hoped from being so tired he should at length have a good night’s rest,”--and thereupon sank into a soft slumber from which he did not awake till the next morning and then with a cheerful mien. He had found the much-desired repose, he felt no longer any bodily suffering, the serene expression of his countenance betokened it from that moment to his last breath! To rise he refused; neither would he take breakfast; but requested his wife to sit on the bed beside him; took her hand, and kissed it tenderly, with an affectionate expression in his kindly beaming eyes that spoke to her more eloquently than could a thousand words. Shortly afterwards his attentive physician arrived, and immediately perceived that a higher power had granted to him the long-desired rest. His family was already prepared for the approaching heart-rending separation. His children and nephews, near and distant friends, hastened to his couch, all desirous to look as long as possible on his loved and honoured face, each glad to snatch one look more from his truthful loving eyes! In this manner he lay, surrounded by all that were most dear to him in life, in calm repose; from day to day with decreasing consciousness of existence; in spirit mayhap, already appertaining to a higher world,--until the evening of the 22nd. Oct. (1859), when at half-past ten his weary eyes closed for ever!----

The pious tones which once with a holy inspiration had gushed from the pure fount of his soul--tones to which he had himself listened in silent devotion but a few weeks before,--resounded now in mourning over his grave; and sad and sorrowful, though at the same time sweetly consolatory, still echo far and wide to the hearts of all:

“Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord, now and for ever. They repose from their labours, and their works follow them!”

~Finis.~

Alphabetical list of the most notable persons, adverted to in the two volumes.

Page

Beethoven I. 184, 199

Bott, Jean II. 232, 313, 336

Boucher II. 68

Catalani II. 25

Cherubini II. 133

Clementi I. 39

Curschmann II. 158, 161

Dingelstedt II. 211

Dussek I. 79, 86

Eck I. 13

Feska I. 193, 225

Field I. 40

Goethe I. 102, 116

Grabbe II. 190

Grund, Edward II. 103, 336

Hauptmann, Moritz I. 169 II. 137, 241

Hesse, Adolph II. 196, 209, 299

Hermstedt I. 123, 140, 156, 159 II. 135

Hiller, Ferdinand II. 324

Holmes, Alfred and Henry II. 320

von Humboldt, Alex. II. 269

Immermann II. 189

Joachim II. 278, 289, 317

Kömpel, Augustus II. 300

Körner, Theodor I. 177

Kreutzer I. 250, II. 108, 119

Laube, Heinrich II. 277

Liszt, Franz II. 239, 271

Mendelssohn II. 189, 210, 277, 290

Methfessel II. 59

Meyerbeer I. 80, 312, II. 266, 270

Molique I. 212

Moscheles II. 294, 313

Müller, Brothers II. 228

Napoleon I. 117

Owen, Professor II. 304

Ole Bull II. 213

Paganini I. 279, II. 168

Pott, Augustus II. 262, 273

Prutz, Robert II. 278

von Raumer II. 2

Raupach II. 184

Ries, Ferdinand II. 75, 161

Ries, Hubert II. 269

Rochlitz I. 75, II. 159, 186

Rode I. 61, 161

Romberg, Andreas I. 135, 210

Romberg, Bernard I. 78

Schmidt, Aloys I. 159

Schumann, Robert II. 210, 296

Schwenke I. 135

Spontini II. 156

Taylor, Prof., Ed. II. 216, 249, 253

Tiek, Ludwig II. 269

Wagner, Richard II. 245, 276

von Weber, C. Maria I. 109, 140

Wichmann, Professor II. 269

Wieland I. 102, 116

Winter I. 105

* * * * *

Transcriber's Note

Note 8 on volume 1 p. 114 refers to a fac-simile appended to the volume; this was not included in the printed book.

The book contains many instances of inconsistent, archaic or doubtful spelling, hyphenation and punctuation. These have been left as printed, except as follows:

Volume 1

p. vi "1846" changed to "1846."

p. 9 "thoughtless" changed to "thoughtless."

p. 11 "tome" changed to "to me"

p. 14 "nothwithstanding" changed to "notwithstanding"

p. 18 "rythm" changed to "rhythm"

p. 19 "by not" changed to "by no"

p. 21 "priviledges" changed to "privileges"

p. 33 "sucessful" changed to "successful"

p. 34 "fond off" changed to "fond of"

p. 34 "Eck" changed to "Eck’s"

p. 34 "heard" changed to "heart"

p. 36 "und" changed to "and"

p. 37 "immediately.”" changed to "immediately."

p. 38 "demand.”" changed to "demand."

p. 40 "to my" changed to "to me"

p. 42 "owerwhelmed" changed to "overwhelmed"

p. 42 "23^{th}" changed to "23^{rd}"

p. 43 "who was" changed to "how was"

p. 43 "musisal" changed to "musical"

p. 43 "time.”" changed to "time."

p. 45 "its found" changed to "it is found"

p. 46 "intruments" changed to "instruments"

p. 47 "twelvth" changed to "twelfth"

p. 48 "idea of." The" changed to "idea of. "The"

p. 52 "gate.”" changed to "gate."

p. 54 "city." "Near" changed to "city. Near"

p. 56 "on prepare" changed to "or prepare"

p. 61 "“I alighted" changed to "I alighted"

p. 61 "journey." changed to "journey.”"

p. 68 "escasped" changed to "escaped"

p. 76 "ingenousness" changed to "ingenuousness"

p. 78 "now appreciate" changed to "nor appreciate"

p. 80 "aminadverted" changed to "animadverted"

p. 84 "anounced" changed to "announced"

p. 86 "exercice" changed to "exercise"

p. 90 "Preissling" changed to "Preissing"

p. 93 "exulpation" changed to "exculpation"

p. 99 "distateful" changed to "distasteful"

p. 101 "Heriditary" changed to "Hereditary"

p. 107 "particulary" changed to "particularly"

p. 110 "impelled so" changed to "impelled to"

p. 111 "pricipal" changed to "principal"

p. 115 "(the Owlet-Queen)" changed to "(the Owlet-Queen),"

p. 117 "mort" changed to "more"

p. 127 "would he" changed to "would be"

p. 131 "childern" changed to "children"

p. 141 "„This" changed to "“This"

p. 145 "superority" changed to "superiority"

p. 146 "inwhich" changed to "in which"

p. 146 "board. "The" changed to "board. The"

p. 149 "Op, 114" changed to "Op. 114"

p. 157 "tentency" changed to "tendency"

p. 160 "other.”" changed to "other."

p. 164 "It is difficult”" changed to "“It is difficult”"

p. 164 "of te" changed to "of the"

p. 165 "introdued" changed to "introduced"

p. 168 "rupturous" changed to "rapturous"

p. 168 "suceeded" changed to "succeeded"

p. 168 "distinghuish" changed to "distinguish"

p. 169 "wat not" changed to "was not"

p. 172 "not be" changed to "not to be"

p. 175 "to to whom" changed to "to whom"

p. 181 "servant." changed to "servant.”"

p. 189 "scarely" changed to "scarcely"

p. 201 "Pixis." changed to "Pixis?”"

p. 207 "nolodge" changed to "no lodge"

p. 208 "“ In Hanover" changed to " “In Hanover"

p. 209 "oppointed" changed to "appointed"

p. 213 "execuiton" changed to "execution"

p. 216 "arduousex ertion" changed to "arduous exertion"

p. 222 "slighest" changed to "slightest"

p. 223 "“Zauberflöte" changed to "“Zauberflöte”"

p. 225 "seperates" changed to "separates"

p. 227 "slighest" changed to "slightest"

p. 229 "on Overture" changed to "an Overture"

p. 229 "an account" changed to "on account"

p. 230 (note) "than" changed to "then"

p. 233 "possesion" changed to "possession"

p. 236 "pratical" changed to "practical"

p. 239 "along" changed to "a long"

p. 242 "precipituously" changed to "precipitously"

p. 243 "deligthful" changed to "delightful"

p. 244 "the the singer" changed to "the singer"

p. 249 "reheasal" changed to "rehearsal"

p. 249 "accomodation" changed to "accommodation"

p. 251 "continous" changed to "continuous"

p. 251 "immediatly" changed to "immediately"

p. 252 "disstance" changed to "distance"

p. 254 "one- horse" changed to "one-horse"

p. 256 "oramented" changed to "ornamented"

p. 263 "age But" changed to "age. But"

p. 264 "hears" changed to "hear"

p. 266 "trough" changed to "through"

p. 266 "here appearance" changed to "her appearance"

p. 271 "moltey" changed to "motley"

p. 279 "the sepaintings" changed to "these paintings"

p. 282 "artist." changed to "artist.”"

p. 285 "arstists" changed to "artists"

p. 315 "indifference and and" changed to "indifference and"

p. 319 "farces" changed to "forces"

p. 319 "pur" changed to "our"

p. 319 "wetnessed" changed to "witnessed"

p. 320 "agitity" changed to "agility"

p. 320 "handscapes" changed to "landscapes"

p. 320 "asscended" changed to "ascended"

p. 324 "und" changed to "and"

p. 325 "unformity" changed to "uniformity"

p. 327 "who where" changed to "who were"

Volume 2

p. 4 "were" changed to "where"

p. 8 "inmortal" changed to "immortal"

p. 9 "a a hermitage" changed to "a hermitage"

p. 13 "through" changed to "though"

p. 14 "penally" changed to "penalty"

p. 15 "defiency" changed to "deficiency"

p. 18 "very" changed to "every"

p. 18 "At it is" changed to "As it is"

p. 18 "smooth-smoken" changed to "smooth-spoken"

p. 21 "others town" changed to "other towns"

p. 21 "excellents" changed to "excellent"

p. 23 "During" changed to "“During"

p. 26 "midle" changed to "middle"

p. 28 "breath" changed to "breathe"

p. 30 "byancient" changed to "by ancient"

p. 33 "neighourhood" changed to "neighbourhood"

p. 35 "then in" changed to "them in"

p. 38 "he so-called" changed to "the so-called"

p. 39 "strubs" changed to "shrubs"

p. 46 "composors" changed to "composers"

p. 47 "apointment" changed to "appointment"

p. 51 "journey" changed to "journey."

p. 54 "the the saloon" changed to "the saloon"

p. 54 "asme" changed to "same"

p. 62 "silly mistake!”" changed to "silly mistake!"

p. 63 "possiblity" changed to "possibility"

p. 64 "suceeded" changed to "succeeded"

p. 67 "soi" changed to "soli"

p. 69 "irrevalent" changed to "irrelevant"

p. 73 "right hand-pier" changed to "right-hand pier"

p. 74 "in in open" changed to "in open"

p. 75 "waistcoast" changed to "waistcoat"

p. 76 "councilwas" changed to "council was"

p. 79 "anguish and and" changed to "anguish and"

p. 81 "could" changed to "she could"

p. 88 "renumeration" changed to "remuneration"

p. 89 "frendly" changed to "friendly"

p. 92 "miles of" changed to "miles off"

p. 96 "could fail" changed to "could not fail"

p. 100 "&c." changed to "&c.”"

p. 106 "exculpate himself" changed to "exculpate myself"

p. 108 "nothwithstanding" changed to "notwithstanding"

p. 109 "proproduced" changed to "produced"

p. 111 "verything" changed to "everything"

p. 129 "mechancali" changed to "mechanical"

p. 133 "Bethoven" changed to "Beethoven"

p. 134 "journy" changed to "journey"

p. 136 "deel" changed to "deal"

p. 137 "or my" changed to "on my"

p. 143 "aknowledged" changed to "acknowledged"

p. 145 "the the court-orchestra" changed to "the court-orchestra"

p. 147 "draw" changed to "drawn"

p. 151 (note) "carying" changed to "carrying"

p. 153 "written" changed to "written by"

p. 153 "charactesised" changed to "characterised"

p. 154 "kettle-druns" changed to "kettle-drums"

p. 155 "nevetherless" changed to "nevertheless"

p. 155 "torch-ight-dance" changed to "torch-light-dance"

p. 157 "“Der Berg-Geist, "which" changed to "“Der Berg-Geist," which"

p. 157 "23th" changed to "23rd"

p. 159 "ecclestiastic" changed to "ecclesiastic"

p. 160 "cross-which" changed to "cross--which"

p. 160 "others." changed to "others.”"

p. 164 "as all" changed to "at all"

p. 167 "be introduced" changed to "he introduced"

p. 169 "informing then" changed to "informing them"

p. 169 "disturbancees" changed to "disturbances"

p. 171 "peasanty" changed to "peasantry"

p. 171 "the the song" changed to "the song"

p. 171 "Messiah.”" changed to "Messiah."

p. 176 (note) "A fit" changed to "“A fit"

p. 178 "Although" changed to "“Although"

p. 181 "artifical" changed to "artificial"

p. 185 "Op 91" changed to "Op. 91"

p. 185 "unsually" changed to "unusually"

p. 189 "were I" changed to "where I"

p. 190 "sister-in law" changed to "sister-in-law"

p. 190 "bathing-etablishment" changed to "bathing-establishment"

p. 194 "3nd" changed to "3rd"

p. 201 "endeavours so" changed to "endeavours to"

p. 202 "an Whittuesday" changed to "on Whittuesday"

p. 202 (note) "restess" changed to "restless"

p. 202 (note) "It is" changed to "“It is"

p. 203 "dicision" changed to "decision"

p. 205 "suprise" changed to "surprise"

p. 209 "23nd" changed to "23rd"

p. 212 "...," changed to "...."

p. 213 "sacrifies" changed to "sacrifices"

p. 217 "Of such" changed to "“Of such"

p. 218 (note) "expenses." changed to "expenses.”"

p. 222 "moved And" changed to "moved. And"

p. 222 "pevailed" changed to "prevailed"

p. 228 "fellows" changed to "follows"

p. 228 "charmed us.”" changed to "charmed us."

p. 230 "loves" changed to "love’s"

p. 233 "manner." changed to "manner.”"

p. 235 "festival.”" changed to "festival."

p. 237 "uniniated" changed to "uninitiated"

p. 241 "Spohr’s," changed to "Spohr’s"

p. 249 "genins" changed to "genius"

p. 249 "frienads" changed to "friends"

p. 256 "treatment." changed to "treatment.”"

p. 259 "arival" changed to "arrival"

p. 262 "such a" changed to "such as"

p. 265 "prejudical" changed to "prejudicial"

p. 270 "Meyerber" changed to "Meyerbeer"

p. 273 "concert to" changed to "concerto"

p. 276 "contemptated" changed to "contemplated"

p. 280 "alhough" changed to "although"

p. 282 "successsion" changed to "succession"

p. 282 "nonimating" changed to "nominating"

p. 287 "by foce" changed to "by force"

p. 287 "someting" changed to "something"

p. 295 "medicial" changed to "medical"

p. 298 "very kind" changed to "every kind"

p. 301 "classes" changed to "glasses"

p. 311 "favourable" changed to "favourably"

p. 317 "Terrestial" changed to "Terrestrial"

p. 331 "he carried" changed to "be carried"

p. 333 "warmth.”" changed to "warmth."

p. 339 "particulary" changed to "particularly"

p. 339 "allendant" changed to "attendant"

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