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: