Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

'
;
644 SPOHR SPOHE
days most rarely heard in public.
Though still
favourites with amateurs of the older generation,
they are, with few exceptions, all but unknown
to the musicians of the present day. The reason
for this must be found in the fact that a severer
standard of criticism is applied to chambermusic
in general, and especially to the stringed
quartet, than to any other form of musical
composition, not even excepting the symphony.
Spohr as a composer of quartets was rarely able
to shake oif the great violin-virtuoso. Some
of the quartets—the so-called Quatuors brillants
or Solo Quartets—are avowedly violin-concertos
accompanied by violin, viola, and violoncello,
and appear to have been written to supply a
momentary want. And even those which claim
to be quartets in the proper sense of the term,
almost invariably give to the first violin an
undue prominence, incompatible with the true
quartet-style. Allowing all this, it , must be
maintained that many of the slow movements
are of great beauty ; and altogether, in spite of
undeniable drawbacks, his quartets contain so
much fine and noble music as certainly not to
deserve the utter neglect they have fallen into.
His oratorios, still enjoying a certain popularity
in England, are but rarely heard in other
countries. They contain, no doubt, much beautiful
music, and occasionally rise even to grandeur
and sublimity. Yet one cannot help feeling
a certain incongruity between the character of
the words and the musical treatment—between
the stern solemnity of such subjects as ' Calvary
or The Last Judgment ' ' and the quiet charm
and sweetness of Spohr's music, which even in
its most powerful and passionate moments lacks
the all-conquering force here demanded.
Of his many songs a few only have attained
great popularity, such as The Bird and the
'
Maiden,' and some more.
As an executant Spohr counts amongst the
greatest of all times. Through Franz Eck he
received the solid principles of the Mannheim
School, and Rode's example appears afterwards
to have had some influence on his style. He
was, however, too original to remain fettered
by any school, still less under the influence of
a definite model. He very soon formed a style
of his own, which again—like his style as a
composer—was a complete reflex of his peculiar
individuality. It has often been remarked that
he treated the violin pre-eminently as a singing
instrument, and we can readily believe that the
composer of the Soena Cantante and of the slow
movements in the 9th and other Concertos,
played with a breadth and beauty of tone and
a delicacy and refinement of expression almost
unequalled. A hand of exceptional size and
strength enabled him to execute with great
facility the most difiicult double-stops and
stretches. His manner of bowing did not
materially differ from that of the old French
School (Yiotti, Bode). Even in quick passages
he preserved a broad full tone. His staccato was
most brilliant and effective, moderately quick,
every note firmly marked by a movement of the
wrist. The lighter and freer style of bowing,
that came in with Paganini, and has been
adopted more or less by all modern players, was
not to his taste. He appears to have had a
special dislike to the use of the ' springing bow,'
and it is a characteristic fact that, when he first
brought out Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's
Dream Overture at Oassel, he insisted on the
violins playing the quick passage at the opening
with firm strokes.
If Spohr's compositions for the violin do not
present abnormal difficulties, to the virtuoso of
the present day, such was not the case at the
time when they were written. They were then
considered the ne plus ultra of difficulty. We
must also remember that he was too great an
artist and musician to care for display of executive
skill for its own sake, and that in consequence
the difficulties contained in his works
do not by any means represent the limit of his
powers as an executant. He had a large number
of pupils, the best known of whom were St.
Lubin, Pott, Ferdinand David, Ebmpel, Blagrove,
Bott, Bargheer. Henry Holmes belonged
to his school, but was never his pupil. Spohr
was considered one of the best conductors of
his time. An unemng ear, imperturbable
rhythmical feeling, energy and fire, were combined
with an imposing personal appearance
and great dignity of bearing.
As a man he was universally respected,
although, owing to a certain reserve in his
character and a decided aversion to talking, he
was not rarely reproached
with coldness and
brusqueness of manner. At the same time he
gained and kept through a long life certain
intimate friendships—with Hauptmann' and
others—and in many instances showed great
kindness, and extended not a little courtesy, to
brother artists. That this was not incompatible
with an extraordinary sense of his own value
and importance is evident in every page of his
Autobiography, a most amusing work, deserving
a better translation than it has yet found.'
His works, of which a catalogue is given
below, comprise 9 great Symphonies ; a large
number of Overtures ; 17 Violin-Concertos and
Concertinos ; many other Concert pieces (Potpourris,
Variations, etc.) for the violin, for violin
and harp ; 15 Violin-Duets ; Duets for violin
and PF. ; 4 Concertos and other pieces for
clarinet ; 33 String Quartets ; 8 Quintets
4 Double Quartets; 5 PF. Trios; 2 Sextets;
an Octet ; and a Nonet ; 4 great Oratorios
a Mass ; several Psalms and Cantatas ; 10
Operas ; a great many Songs, Part-Songs and
other vocal pieces—over 200 works in all.
1 HauptmaDn'a letters to Spohr bare been pubMabed b; Scboena
luid Hiller. See also Letters of a Leipiig Cantvr, tTanidated and
edited by A. B. Coleridge (1892).
s LovAa Spohr'i Autolyiograpis, Longmans, 1665.