In the following year Spohr and his young wife set out on a musical
tour, "by which," he says, "we not only reaped a rich harvest of
applause, but saved a considerable sum of money." On his return to Gotha
he was met by a band of pupils, who unharnessed the horses from the
coach and drew him through the streets in triumph. He now devoted
himself to composition largely, and produced his first opera, "Alruna,"
which is said to have been very warmly received, both at Gotha and
Weimar, in which latter city it was produced under the superintendence
of the poet Goethe, who was intendant of the theatre. Spohr, however,
allowed it to disappear, as his riper judgment condemned its faults more
than it favored its excellences. Among his amusing adventures, one which
he relates in his "Autobiography" as having occurred in 1808 is worth
repeating. He tells us: "In the year 1808 took place the celebrated
Congress of Sovereigns at Erfurt, on which occasion Napoleon entertained
his friend Alexander of Russia and the various kings and princes of
Germany. The lovers of sights and the curious of the whole country round
poured in to see the magnificence displayed. In the company of some
of my pupils, I made a pedestrian excursion to Erfurt, less to see the
great ones of the earth than to see and admire the great ones of the
French stage, Talma and Mars. The Emperor had sent to Paris for his
tragic performers, who played every evening in the classic works of
Corneille and Racine. I and my companions had hoped to have seen one
such representation, but unfortunately I was informed that they took
place for the sovereigns and their suites alone, and that everybody
else was excluded from them." In this dilemma Spohr had recourse to
stratagem. He persuaded four musicians of the orchestra to vacate their
places for a handsome consideration, and he and his pupils engaged to
fill the duties. But one of the substitutes must needs be a horn-player,
and the four new players could only perform on violin and 'cello. So
there was nothing to be done but for Spohr to master the French horn at
a day's notice. At the expense of swollen and painful lips, he managed
this sufficiently to play the music required with ease and precision.
"Thus prepared," he writes, "I and my pupils joined the other musicians,
and, as each carried his instrument under his arm, we reached our place
without opposition. We found the saloon in which the theatre had been
erected already brilliantly lit up and filled with the numerous suites
of the sovereigns. The seats for Napoleon and his guests were right
behind the orchestra. Shortly after, the most able of my pupils, to whom
I had assigned the direction of the music, and under whose leadership I
had placed myself as a new-fledged hornist, had tuned up the orchestra,
the high personages made their appearance, and the overture began. The
orchestra, with their faces turned to the stage, stood in a long row,
and each was strictly forbidden to turn around and look with curiosity
at the sovereigns. As I had received notice of this beforehand, I had
provided myself secretly with a small looking-glass, by the help of
which, as soon as the music was ended, I was enabled to obtain in
succession a good view of those who directed the destinies of Europe.
Nevertheless, I was soon so engrossed with the magnificent acting of the
tragic artists that I abandoned my mirror to my pupils, and directed my
whole attention to the stage. But at every succeeding _entr'acte_ the
pain of my lips increased, and at the close of the performance they
had become so much swollen and blistered that in the evening I could
scarcely eat any supper. Even the next day, on my return to Gotha,
my lips had a very negro-like appearance, and my young wife was not a
little alarmed when she saw me. But she was yet more nettled when I told
her that it was from kissing to such excess the pretty Erfurt women.
When I had related, however, the history of my lessons on the horn, she
laughed heartily at my expense."
In October, 1809, Spohr and his wife started on an art journey to
Russia, but they were recalled by the court chamberlain, who said that
the duchess could not spare them from the court concerts, but would
liberally indemnify them for the loss. Spohr returned and remained at
home for nearly three years, during which time he composed a number of
important works for orchestra and for the violin. In 1812 a visit to
Vienna, during which he gave a series of concerts, so delighted the
Viennese that Spohr was offered the direction of the Ander Wien theatre
at a salary three times that received at Gotha, besides valuable
emoluments. This, and the assurance of Count Palffy, the imperial
intendant, that he meant to make the orchestra the finest in Europe,
induced Spohr to accept the offer.
When it became necessary for our musician to search for a domicile
in Vienna, he met with another piece of good fortune. One morning
a gentleman waited on him, introducing himself as a wealthy clock
manufacturer and a passionate lover of music. The stranger made an
eccentric proposition. Spohr should hand over to him all that he should
compose or had composed for Vienna during the term of three years, the
original scores to be his sole property during that time, and Spohr not
even to retain a copy. "But are they not to be performed during that
time?" "Oh, yes! as often as possible; but each time on my lending them
for that purpose, and when I can be present myself." The bargain was
struck, and the ardent connoisseur agreed to pay thirty ducats for a
string quartet, five and thirty for a quintet, forty for a sextet, etc.,
according to the style of composition. Two works were sold on the spot,
and Spohr said he should devote the money to house-furnishing. Herr Von
Tost undertook to provide the furniture complete, and the two made a
tour among the most fashionable shops. When Spohr protested against
purchasing articles of extreme beauty and luxury, Von Tost said, "Make
yourself easy, I shall require no cash settlement. You will soon
square all accounts with your manuscripts." So the Spohr domicile
was magnificently furnished from kitchen to attic, more fitly, as the
musician said, for a royal dignitary or a rich merchant than for a poor
artist. Von Tost claimed he would gain two results: "First, I wish to be
invited to all the concerts and musical circles in which you will
play your compositions, and to do this I must have your scores in my
possession; secondly, in possessing such treasures of art, I hope upon
my business journeys to make a large acquaintance among the lovers of
music, which I may turn to account in my manufacturing interests." Let
us hope that this commercial enthusiast found his calculations verified
by results.
Spohr soon gave two important new works to the musical world, the opera
of "Faust," and the cantata, "The Liberation of Germany," neither of
which, however, was immediately produced. Weber brought out "Faust" at
Prague in 1816, and the cantata was first performed at Franken-hausen in
1815, at a musical festival on the anniversary of the battle of Leipsic,
a battle which turned the scale of Napoleon's career. The same year
(1815) also witnessed the quarrel between Spohr and Count Palffy, which
resulted in the rupture of the former's engagement. Spohr determined to
make a long tour through Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Before shaking
the dust of Vienna from his feet, he sold the Von Tost household at
auction, and the sum realized was even larger than what had been paid
for it, so vivid were the public curiosity and interest in view of the
strange bargain under which the furniture had been bought. On the 18th
of March, 1815, Louis Spohr, with his beloved Dorette and young family,
which had increased with truly German fecundity, bade farewell to
Vienna.
Two years of concert-giving and sight-seeing swiftly passed, to the
great augmentation of the German violinist's fame. On Spohr's return
home he was invited to become the opera and music director of the
Frankfort Theatre, and for two years more he labored arduously at this
post. He produced the opera of "Zemire and Azar" (founded on the fairy
fable of "Beauty and the Beast" ) during this period among other works,
and it was very enthusiastically received by the public. This opera was
afterward given in London, in English, with great success, though the
opinion of the critics was that it was too scientific for the English
taste.