these not only in that work, under the article “_Spohr_” but also in
a spirited notice in the Musical-Journal, a reprint of which is to be
found in number 26. of the eleventh volume. The third part of this
Concerto is a Spanish _Rondo_, the melodies of which are not mine but
genuine Spanish. I heard them from a Spanish soldier who was quartered
in my house, and who sang to the guitar. I noted down what pleased
me, and wove it into my _Rondo_. In order to give this a more Spanish
character, I copied the guitar-accompaniments as I had heard them from
the Spaniard, into the orchestral part. At the beginning of the same
winter, I had also a visit from _Reichardt_, Director of the orchestra
at Cassel, and then first made his personal acquaintance. _Reichardt_
told me he was going to Vienna by the command of his Court, to engage
singers for a German theatre that was about to be opened at Cassel.
This, proved afterwards to be false; for _Reichardt_ was at that very
time no longer in the Westphalian service. I had felt at first much
annoyed by a sharp criticism of _Reichardt’s_ upon my play, on my first
appearance at Berlin; but as I soon found that it contained many truths
and well founded strictures, and that it had prompted me to correct the
faults it pointed out in my execution, a sentiment of gratitude had
long taken the place of my former resentment. I therefore welcomed my
guest with great cordiality, and immediately arranged a musical party
at my house in his honour, at which I let him hear my two new and just
finished Violin-Quartetts.
As at that time I knew none of _Reichardt’s_ compositions beyond a
couple of successful songs, and looked upon the famous author of the
“Confidential letter from Paris” and the dreaded Critic, as a great
Composer, I set much value upon his opinion, and awaited it with a
feeling of acute expectancy. I therefore again felt somewhat chafed
when _Reichardt_ had various objections to make, and expressed them
_sans gène_. But it was perhaps more the self sufficient look of
infallibility with which he pronounced his judgement, that wounded
me; for some time after, I was again obliged to admit to myself, that
_Reichardt’s_ observations were in many respects just. There was _one_
remark, which I frequently called to mind in my subsequent studies. For
instance, in an _Adagio_, from the beginning to the end, I had carried
out a figure after the style of _Mozart_, now in one Key, and then in
the other, and in my delight at this scientific interweaving, had not
remarked that it at last became monotonous. But although _Reichardt_
praised the manner in which I had carried it through, he spoke
unsparingly against it, and added more over, maliciously, “You could
not rest until you had worried your motive to death!”
* * * * *
In the spring of 1809, from the unusual expenses attendant upon my
wife’s confinement and subsequent illness, as well as those incurred by
the necessary removal to another house outside the town, I found myself
in such straightened circumstances, that I earnestly desired to see
realised the promise of an increase of salary that had been made to me
on my appointment. I therefore addressed a petition to the Duke, which
as he never troubled himself with administrative matters, was without
effect, and probably, was laid aside unread. I was therefore advised by
the Intendant, Baron _von Reibnitz_ to make a personal application to
the Privy-Counsellor _von Frankenberg_ and deliver to him my petition
for the desired increase of salary. I followed this advice, and in
the afternoon of a fine spring-day, walked over to the seat of the
Privy-Counsellor, distant about two miles from Gotha, on the road to
Erfurt. I found him in his garden, sitting under a large lime tree,
playing chess with his daughter. As I had been familiar with this game
from my early youth, played it often, and was passionately fond of it;
after a short salutation of the players, I immediately directed my
whole attention to the game as it stood. The Privy-Counsellor observing
this, had a chair placed for me close to the table, and quietly played
on. When I first arrived, the game looked very threatening for the
daughter, and it was not long before she was checkmated by her father.
I had taken particular notice of the position of the pieces, and in so
doing, a move had suggested itself to me by which the checkmate could
have been prevented. I represented this, and was immediately challenged
by the Privy-Counsellor, who thought himself sure of the victory, to
try it. The pieces were again replaced in the position they stood
when I arrived, and I now took the daughter’s game. After a few well
combined moves I succeeded in extricating my King from all danger,
and I then played against my opponent with such success, that he was
soon obliged to confess himself beaten. The Privy-Counsellor, though
somewhat nettled at his defeat, was nevertheless much struck with the
unexpected issue of the game. He held out his hand to me in a friendly
manner and said: “You are a capital Chess-player, and must often do me
the pleasure of playing with me.” This I did; and as I was world-wise
enough not to win too many games, I soon got in great favour with my
new patron; the result was, that a rescript, for an additional two
hundred thalers to my salary was soon made out.
* * * * *
Towards the middle of the summer, from the constant enjoyment of fresh
air, and frequent walks which were extended by degrees to little
excursions into the neighbourhood; _Dorette_ had regained her former
strength and health, and again devoted herself with renewed assiduity
to the study of her instrument, in order to prepare herself thoroughly
for our projected second artistic-tour. As I also now became more and
more acquainted with the properties of the harp, with its effects, and
what my wife in particular was capable of performing with it, I at that
time wrote another grand Sonata for harp and violin (op. 115 published
by _Schuberth_ in Hamburg), and took great pains to introduce into it
the result of my experience. I was completely successful; the part for
the harp in this Sonata was easier to play, and at the same time more
brilliant than in the previous ones. _Dorette_ therefore, practised it
with special predeliction and soon played this new work with the same
precision as the others.
Thus once more prepared for an Artistic tour, we began to consider in
which direction it would be most advantageous to go. I had learned from
a traveller just returned from Russia, that my Musical fame and that
of my wife had already reached there, and that in the previous winter
a visit from us had been expected. As I had reason to hope, moreover,
that I should receive powerful letters of recommendation from the Court
of Weimar to the Imperial Court of St. Petersburgh, the journey to
Russia appeared to me to hold out the most advantages. But, _Dorette_
would not consent to so distant a journey from home, as she beleived
herself unable to bear so long a separation from her children. Yet,
when I represented to her, that if at any time it was our intention
to go to Russia, the present was the most favourable moment, in which
our children under the assiduous care of their grandmother, would
miss us less than at a later period, she at length, though with a
bleeding heart, consented to it. As I had foreseen that the Dutchess,
also, would not consent to so long an absence as would be required for
a journey to Russia, I kept secret for the present the real aim of
our journey, and named Breslau as its object, for which I asked and
obtained a three-month’s leave. From there, I intended to apply for an
extension of leave, to proceed farther.
We set out on our journey in October, 1809; played first at Weimar,
and received from the Grand-Dutchess the desired introduction to her
brother, the Emperor Alexander, as also to other Russian Magnates. We
then gave a Concert in Leipsic, of which the Musical-Journal contains
the following short notice: “Herr Concertmeister _Spohr_ and his wife
afforded us the pleasure to hear for a whole evening, several of his
newest Compositions, and himself on the Violin; as, also, his wife
on the Harp. Respecting this _true_ artiste and his talented wife
we have already spoken fully and decidedly, we shall here therefore
be succinct. Since we last heard them, both have made a surprising
progress, not alone in their mastery and ready command of all the
resources of their Art, but in their skilful application of them to
the best and most effective purposes:--And if the former Compositions
of this Master found both here and everywhere else the most unanimous
applause, his later Compositions which we have now heard, will much
less fail to do so.”
Of our Concerts in Dresden, and Bautzen, having sought in vain for
a notice of them, I am unable to say more than that they took place
on the 1. and 7. November, as I perceive from a memorandum of the
receipts on this journey, which has by chance been preserved. But of
the three Concerts we gave in Breslau, on the 18. November, and the
2. and 9. December there is a notice in the Musical-Journal, which
speaks in great praise of our Play, though it finds some fault with
the Compositions. It says: “The opinion of our musical friends of Herr
_Spohr_ as a Composer, agrees fully with that which they previously
pronounced respecting him. He is in truth a Musician of high merit. He
has nevertheless a peculiarity, and one which by degrees perhaps, will
lead him to uniformity in style; namely, his latest compositions, so
far as we are acquainted with them are _one and all of a melancholy
character_. Even the Pot-Pourri which he played at the close of the
Concert, partook somewhat of it.”
This remark upon the melancholy character of my Compositions, which is
here made for the first time, and so often repeated at a later period
in criticisms upon my works, as to become regularly stereotyped, has
always been a riddle for me; for, to me, my Compositions appear for
the most part quite as cheerful as those of any other Composer. Those
in particular which I then played in Breslau, with the exception of
two subjects, were all of so lively a character, that I am still
unable to understand the above remark. The two first Allegro’s alone
of the Concertante in H- and G-Minor are serious, the former perhaps
even somewhat mournful, but the other subjects are all of them,
lively. The same may be said from beginning to end of the Concertante
for two violins in A-Major, which I played with Herr _Luge_, and
more than that, the third Thesis is even saucily playful. Neither
does the Composition for the harp, nor the Overture to “Alruna”
bear any trace of melancholy; how then does the Reviewer come by
his remark?--Nevertheless, as something similar has been maintained
respecting my Compositions even up to the present time, so that people
who have not known me personally, have considered me a misanthrope, or
an hypochondriac, though I am happy to say I am always of a cheerful
tone of mind; there must be something in it, and I think it is,
that people have taken the prevailing dreaminess and sentimental
character of my Compositions, and my predeliction for the Minor Keys,
as outbursts of melancholy. If it is so, I am content to bear with it,
though at first it always annoyed me. Of the Overture to “Alruna”, the
same Breslauer critic says: “It is not free from reminiscences.” He
might have said right out, it is an exact imitation of the Overture
to the “Zauberflöte”; for that was the object I had in view. In
my admiration of _Mozart_, and the feeling of wonder with which I
regarded that Overture, an imitation of it seemed to me something very
natural and praiseworthy, and at the time when I sought to develope
my talent for Composition I had made many similar imitations of
_Mozart’s_ master pieces, and among others that of the aria full of
love-complaints in Alruna, imitated from the beautiful aria of Pamina:
“_Ach, ich fühl’s, es ist verschwunden._” Although shortly after
that time, I became sensible that a Composer should endeavour to be
original both in the form of his musical pieces, and in the development
of his musical ideas, yet I retained even up to a later period, a
predeliction for that imitation of the Overture to the “_Zauberflöte_”,
and still consider it as one of my best and most effective
Instrumental-compositions. Neither is it so slavish an imitation as
to contain nothing of my own invention; for instance, the striking
modulations in the introductory _Adagio_, and the second Fugue-theme
with which the second half of the _Allegro_ begins, and, which then is
so happily connected with the chief theme. The instrumentation, also,
though quite in the _Mozart_ style has nevertheless, some original
characteristics.
In Breslau we met an old acquaintance from Gotha, Baron _von Reibnitz_,
who hitherto had been Intendant of the Orchestra, but had resigned, and
retired to his estate in Silesia. He was then in town for the winter
months, and acquainted with all in Breslau who were fond of music, and
who played, he introduced me into the Musical Circles there, and was
of great assistance to me in making arrangements for my concerts. In
Breslau, from olden time one of the most musical Towns of Germany,
there was at that moment such a succession of Concerts, that one took
place almost every day in the week. As the Theatre, was open also every
evening, it was therefore very difficult to fix upon a day favourable
for an Extra-Concert, and almost more difficult to get together a good
and numerous orchestra. The kindness of _Schnabel_ the Leader of the
Cathedral-Choir enabled me nevertheless to overcome this difficulty,
for he not only procured for me a good Orchestra for each of my three
Concerts, but each time undertook to conduct it. The experienced
Director evinced a particular interest in my compositions, which he
soon transferred to the Composer, who returned it in the most hearty
manner. We became much attached to each other, and until _Schnabel’s_
early death remained on the most intimate terms of friendship.
Shortly after my arrival in Breslau, just as I was about to write to
Gotha for an extension of my leave to proceed to Russia, I received
through Baron _von Reibnitz_ a letter from the Court-Chamberlain Count
_Salisch_ in Gotha, to the following effect:
The Dutchess has with great regret received the information from
Weimar, that I had the intention of proceeding to Russia and did
not contemplate returning before the expiration of the year. As she
would be extremely unwilling to miss my services and those of my wife
at the Court-Concerts for so long a period, she therefore offered,
if I would give up the journey to Russia, and return speedily to
Gotha, to indemnify my wife, by procuring for her the appointment
of Solo-player at the Court-Concerts, and Teacher of Music to the
Princess.[10]--Scarcely had I communicated to my wife the contents of
this letter, than I saw how the hope of sooner rebeholding her children
brought tears of joy into her eyes. This moved me so deeply, that I
at once resolved to give up the journey. I therefore immediately put
myself in communication with Count _Salisch_, the new Intendant of the
Gotha Orchestra, and when he had definitively arranged the appointment
of my wife with a suitable salary to commence from the 1. January
1810, I agreed on my side to return to Gotha as soon as possible. We
therefore hastened our departure from Breslau to Berlin, and proceeded
through Liegnitz to Glogau, where we gave two Concerts on the 13. and
18. December, that had been previously arranged for by our musical
friends there, and which were very numerously attended.
[10] The Step-daughter of the Dutchess, afterwards married to the Duke
of Coburg, and mother of the present reigning Duke and of His R. H. the
late Prince Albert, Consort of the Queen of England.
Of the Concert at Glogau, I still remember a very ludicrous incident.
It took place in a building which was perhaps unique of its kind; for
on the basement were the Butcher’s shambles, on the first floor the
Concert-Saloon, and above that the Theatre of the town. As the Saloon
was very low and much overcrowded, it soon became insufferably hot.
The public, therefore, soon demanded that a trap-door in the ceiling
of the Saloon should be opened, which could be effected from the Pit
of the Theatre overhead. Now, however, the key of the Theatre was
nowhere to be found, the latter not having been used during the whole
of the winter; a long pole was therefore brought with which to push up
the door. At first, it would not move; but upon several men combining
their strength, it sprung suddenly, open, and at the same moment
let down upon the ladies sitting underneath such a shower of dust,
cherry-stones, apple-peel and the like, the accumulation of years, in
the pit, that not only were they completely covered, but the whole
orchestra and audience envelloped in such a cloud of dust, that at
first nobody could make out what it really was. When it had cleared off
again, the ladies endeavoured as well as they could to free their necks
and dresses from the dirt; the Musicians cleaned their instruments, and
the Concert was continued.
We found Berlin very full of strangers, and in a state of festive
excitement in expectation of the return of the Court, which ever since
the unfortunate battle of Jena had continued to reside in Königsberg.
The moment was favourable for giving Concerts, and even before the
arrival of the Court we had a numerous audience at our first. Of our
performances, the Editor of the Musical Journal says: “Yesterday,
the 4. January, the Director of Concerts in Gotha, Herr _Spohr_,
gave a Concert at the Theatre. Of his own Compositions he played a
Violin-Concerto in G-Minor, with a Spanish _Rondo_, a Pot-Pourri for
the Violin, and with his wife an accomplished and most expressive
player, a Sonata for pedal-Harp and Violin, also of his composition.
The Musical Journal has already frequently spoken in praise of this
talented Virtuoso, and recently also adverted to this composition. In
the present instance, also, both his Compositions and his Play were
highly commended. Particularly admired were the double chords, the
distances, and the shakes which Herr _Spohr_ executed with the greatest
skill, and by the impassioned expression of his play, especially in
the _Adagio_, he won every heart. We hope, to hear this estimable
Artiste-Couple again next week.”
On the 10. took place the Public Entry of the returning Court. It was
indeed an affecting scene, when the King seated by the side of his Wife
in an open carriage, drove slowly through the crowded streets, greeted
by the acclamations of thousands and by the waving of handkerchiefs
from every window. The Queen seemed deeply affected; for tear after
tear was seen to steal from her beautiful eyes. In the evening the City
was splendidly illuminated.
On the following day, we gave our second Concert. Early in the morning
we were beseiged with questions, whether the Court would be there.
We could as yet afford no information on the subject; but when about
noon, the Queen sent for tickets, the news of it spread through the
City like wildfire, and the auditory now came in such crowds that the
spacious Saloon could scarcely hold them. I played, as I see by the
notice in the Musical Journal, my third Concerto in C-Major; and with
my pupil _Hildebrandt_ who was on a visit to a relation in Berlin, my
Concertante in A-Major. The precision of our Duo-playing was the same
as usual, and here, as in Gotha gained for us the most lively applause.
But the critic, nevertheless does not appear to have been wholly of
the same opinion, since he expresses himself as follows: “Both Players
in the Concertante played not only together, but as _one_; and though
this merits on the one hand praise and even elicits astonishment,
yet on the other, it is somewhat uniform and monotonous; one missed
and regretfully, that charm which derives from the union of things
different in themselves, when through that very unison the difference
is still observable--instead of being a union of accord, it was one and
the same thing.”--This sounds very sensible, and yet has very little
sense in it! The two Solo-voices of this Concertante are written in
such a manner that their full effect is only to be attained by the
closest union of play. But to achieve that in the highest degree, is
possible only when both players are of the same school and have the
same style of execution. In fact, it is even necessary that their
Instruments should possess a like power, and as much as possible the
same qualities of tone. These were all combined in my Pupil and me;
hence the great effect of our Duo-playing. At a subsequent period in my
travels both in Germany and abroad, I have played that Concertante with
several of the most celebrated Violinists of the day, who as Virtuosi
stood higher than my pupil _Hildebrandt_, but with them I never could
attain the same effect as in my play with him, their school and mode of
execution being too dissimilar from mine.
It was at first my intention to return to Gotha direct from Berlin, in
order to keep my promise. But being informed by a musical friend in
Hamburgh that it was then a most favourable time of the year to give
Concerts, I wrote to Gotha requesting a few weeks more extension of
leave, to visit Hamburgh before my return. It was granted to me.
Hamburgh was at that time in the possession of the French, who had
laid a severe interdict upon all commerce with England. The then even
very rich merchants had therefore little to do, and the more leisure
to occupy themselves with Music and Concerts. As we were now preceeded
by a good artistic reputation, our first Concert, which we gave on the
8. February in the Apollo-Saloon was exceedingly well attended, and
brought in at the high admission-price of one Hamburgh Species, nearly
400 thalers. Our play in that Concert having made a great sensation,
the receipts increased at the second, on 21. February, to the large sum
of 1015 Thalers. Between those two Concerts we gave one also at Lubeck
on the 14. which we had been invited to do by the Musical amateurs of
that place, and, lastly, played also at Altona in the Museum, for a
moderate remuneration.
Highly gratified with the business we had done, we were now on the
point of leaving; when the Secretary to the French Governor called upon
us, and invited us in his name to give a third Concert, as he and his
Circle had missed the opportunity of hearing us. Under the apprehension
that a third would not be well attended, as I hesitated in my reply,
the gentleman added, that he was charged to take two hundred tickets
for the Governor and his friends. All hesitation on my part was now
dismissed, and on the 3. March we gave a third Concert, which again
brought a receipt of 510 thalers.