Louis Spohr's Autobiography / Translated from the German

[1] The house is still standing, and, as Number 7, forms the corner of the Aegydian churchyard in Monk street. For several years it has been given up to the Military musical institution, since the parish was abolished during the Westphalian times.

[2] Musician in the Ducal Orchestra, or Court Musician.

[3] Er, or he, used in this mode of address, is a contemptuous style of expression in the German language, which has its equivalent only in the English word fellow, used in a rude sense.

[4] It is related of Viotti (the father of Modern Violin-Playing) when thus established in London as a Wine-merchant, that, a Nobleman who had previously been a great admirer and patron of his talent, rebuked him for having abandoned his art to become a dealer in Wine! “My dear Sir” replied Viotti, “I have done so, simply because I find that the English like Wine better than Music!”

[5] One Fredericks d’or (single) = 16^s 6^d English.

[6] This pun on the idem sonans of the word “Beer” with “Bär” anglice “Bear”, being almost as obvious in the English as the German, will be readily understood by the reader.

[7] Afterwards architect to the Court of Brunswick, and father of the well known harpiste Rosalie Spohr.

[8] This Canon was found among Spohr’s manuscripts, and a fac-simile is appended to this volume.

[9] Musician to the Corporation.

[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.

[11] Bernhard Romberg, also, constantly smoked while playing, and I once heard him in his house at Gotha, executed his most difficult Concerto in F-Minor, without taking the pipe from his mouth.

[12] According to the ancient legend, the belief in which was once popular throughout Germany; Frederick Barbarossa, seated at a stone table in the vaulted tower of the Imperial Castle of the Kyffhäuser, awaits since 600 years the hour of Germany’s regeneration, in order to reappear once more in the vigour of life, prepared for new works and achievements for the glory and well being of a united Germany. The red beard of the Emperor grows round the table of stone in front of him, and so soon as it has wholly grown round it for the third time, Frederick will awake. His first act will then produce a symbol of his further mission. He will hang his shield upon a withered tree, which will then suddenly shoot out its buds and leaves again, till it is covered anew with verdant life and beauty! Such is the legend, the origin of which dates far back into the middle ages, and must be considered as a long subsisting expression of that yearning of the popular mind in Germany which under long enduring circumstances of political oppression looked towards the future with hopes of enfranchisement and relief, and which associated those hopes and aspirations with the memory of an honoured name.

(Note of Translator.)

[13] This must have been the 6. (Op. 28).

[14] “The glorious moment.”

[15] A selection from the pages of this album will be found in the appendix.

[16] One Carolin = 20 s, 4 d English.

[17] From the leader of the Orchestra an employé in the manufactory, I then made the acquisition of a Violin by Lupot of Paris. I was so much struck with the full and powerful tone of this Instrument, which was then only thirty years old, that I immediately proposed an exchange for an Italian Violin, which I had purchased in Brunswick, and played upon in my first journey; the possessor of the Lupot willingly acceded to my desire. I soon got so fond of this Violin, that I preferred it to my hitherto Concert-Violin, an old german by Buchstetter, and from this time I played on it in all my travels.—————

It was not till the year 1822, when my artistic tours as Violinist had ceased, that I bought of Madame Schlick in Gotha my present instrument, a Stradivari, and yielded to Concert-master Matthaei of Leipsic at his urgent entreaty this Violin of Lupot, which in the course of years had become very good and had acquired a great reputation. Matthaei played on it till his death, when it came into the possession of Concert-master Ulrich.

[18] Unhappily she died young and before her full development.

[19] Edward Henke, previously adverted to, my mother’s youngest brother, then Professor at the University of Bern; and afterwards of Halle.

[20] From Laube, an arbour, bower.

[21] Mozart has recorded his hatred of the “insolent Aristocracies of Germany” towards whom Haydn demeaned himself with more courtly subserviency than became the great Master of Sound.

[22] At this inn in 1807, two Italians murdered the daughter of the Innkeeper, and this circumstance suggested to Zach. Werner the Tragedy adverted to.

[23] This is the Apollino. Spohr himself corrects this error at a subsequent part of his narrative.

[24] As I do not know the text, I have appended dots for the syllables.

[25] It was this Salomon, who, as concert-giver, induced his friend Haydn to visit London and compose symphonies for his concerts; and to him therefore the musical world owes the twelve most beautiful symphonies Haydn wrote.

[26] This is the Op. 59, the second of my works written in London.

[27] The “Vienna Allgemeinen musikalischen Anzeiger,” of the 14th March, said among other things, in announcing the publication by Peters [Op. 65] of this work: “To waste words in praising this double quartet, which all unite in admiring, would be carrying coals to Newcastle.”

[28] The manuscript remained unpublished for many years, and was only recently published bei Luckhardt in Cassel as Op. 97.

[29] Fleck, in the German language, signifies, a spot, stain, or blemish.

[30] In the Vienna “Musicalischer Anzeiger” of the 23rd January 1834 is the following notice respecting it: “All who have had the opportunity of hearing and judging for themselves, know and feel that the esteemed maestro, in all his dramatic compositions, with the exception of the single, purely genial “Faust,” introduces his hearers less into the wondrous realm of fancy, than he leads them like a true friend, by pleasant meandering paths through the charming and balmy groves of harmony. This work also, breathes the same calm, reflective spirit that speaks to the heart, the same pure taste, the same style, as noble as it is elegant, the same constancy, unity and well-sustained interior connection, that so particularly characterizes all the works of this perhaps most substantial of all living composers, and which distinguish also no less this musical creation.”

[31] It was published by Haslinger, in Vienna, and the “Wiener Theater-Zeitung,” conducted by Ad. Bäuerle, speaks of it in the following manner: “A fit companion to Hummel’s ‘Clavier-Schule’ (pianoforte school); for in the same way that that opens a new department of education in pianoforte play, this embraces the whole art and science of violin play, and lays down clear principles for an art which hitherto has been taught more by oral precepts, or, at the utmost, by small fragmentary pamphlets. It required the penetrating, searching mind of a Spohr, who surpasses in complete scientific culture the authors of every existing school, to condense in systematic order so important a branch of art, which has been two centuries in acquiring shape; so that the violin, so prominent in all music, may be cultivated upon sure and proper principles, and its study carried out with certain success. How well the great maestro Spohr goes to work to effect this we shall shew in a subsequent clearer exposition of the contents; for he has not only copiously treated the scientific musical culture of the pupil by the clear outspoken method of the instruction in the explanatory text, assisted by the excellent and appropriate pieces which he supplies for practice, but also, in the mechanical part of the instruction, in which the mechanism of the human body is so beautifully and appositely shewn in all its bearings on the mechanical structure of the instrument. The excellent preface to the work presents rules of conduct both for the instructors and parents of pupils for the obviation of a host of evils which have hitherto arisen from false and erroneous modes of proceeding, from the circumstance that few lovers of music, and few teachers of music even, are sufficiently acquainted with these arcana of the art. Well and clearly does he enumerate the means of encouragement by which the industry of the pupil may be incited. How generous is the invitation of the famed master to the students of the violin, that they should impart to him their experience in the progress of their studies of his code of instruction for violin-play, for the further extension of his own knowledge! In this the great earnestness of the true artist for the attainment of the one great object is made conspicuously evident.”... The notice concludes with the following words: “The world-famed master, Spohr, has by this excellent work alone ensured an undying celebrity, and thereby added but a new and beautiful leaf to the laurel wreathe that encircles his brows.”

[32] The court theatre was closed at this time.

[33] English.

[34] “Schön Hannchen.”

[35] Its first performance in Vienna produced there a great sensation, as several gratifying reports, accompanied by a costly silver cup with suitable inscription, testify. The Vienna Musical Journal said in a very enthusiastic review, among other things: “It is again a work, that speaks its own master’s praise in elegant language: a pure whole, a thing apart of itself, all of one casting. The introduction, andante C sharp, breathes a cheerful repose which gradually assumes an impassioned character and prepares the hearer for the transition to the allegro, C minor, which, replete with treasures of harmony bears in itself the germ of an imposing effect.... The second theme, Larghetto, A major, is a conglomerate of deep feeling, warm fantasy, and of song replete with sentiment etc.; in this again each note speaks to the heart with irresistible force.... The scherzo, C sharp, opens with a bold freshness of appeal to life and cheerfulness, the sharp rhythms, the unceasing and restless competition of the wind and stringed instruments, the impetuous bursts of tonic power as opposed to the soft clear flowing cantilene of the alternative,—and, all these effected in a manner so original and striking as to defy expression in words.... For the presto finale, the poet of sound appears to have husbanded as much as possible the sum total of his creative powers.... Not one of the numberless beauties were lost upon the hearers, each theme in succession received the merited tribute to his mastery; and indeed the richly fantastic scherzo electreified all so unanimously, that a da capo was imperatively called for.”...

[36] As Spohr himself always considered this English musical festival (the Norwich festival) and the flattering reception given to him and his works in that country, as the most brilliant period in his active life, its description may reasonably find a place here in a somewhat more detailed form.

[37] The extracts given here and subsequently from the letters of Spohr’s relatives, may find their excuse in the circumstance that he himself had neither leisure nor inclination to write letters during this journey, but was greatly pleased when his female companions wrote home frequently (which of course was always in harmony with his own sentiments),—and he seldom allowed such a letter to leave without having expressed his full concurrence with the contents.

[38] As a member of the committee he had conducted the correspondence with Spohr relative to his coming, concerning which the following remarks appeared in the “Spectator”: “It is highly to the credit of the great master, that to the question what compensation he required for the time and exertions required of him during the journey, and for direction of the oratorio, he simply replied: ‘The committee will doubtless have no objection to pay my travelling-expenses?’ We are glad to learn that the modesty of this reply and Spohr’s coming to England without any further negotiation on the matter with the committee, was duly recognised by the latter, who thereupon came to the resolution to present Mr. Spohr with a sum of 100 guineas over and above the account of his expenses.”

[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.”

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.