Spohr gained his first important experience in his twenties, as
a chamber musician at the Brunswick court. He soon became a virtuoso
violinist, touring throughout the German lands. In due course
he took to conducting, and was among the first to use a baton.
He had periods as an opera conductor at Vienna (1813-15) and then Frankfurt (1817-19), and these years coincided
with his developing activity as a composer. For example, his operas
Faust and Zemire und Azor date from 1813 and 1819
respectively. He settled as kapellmeister at Kassel for a period of more than twenty
years from 1822, and this more stable life allowed him to exercise
a more concentrated response to the challenge of composing.
Spohr’s music gained him an international
reputation during his lifetime, but after his death his position
in the repertory gradually waned. His early romantic origins
and his admiration for Mozart largely determined his style,
with its emphasis on careful craftsmanship and adherence to
classical principles. However, Spohr’s expressive powers were
strong and his music can always convey an emotion sincerely
felt. Among his instrumental works there are ten symphonies,
operas, virtuoso piano pieces, a great deal of chamber music
and many concertos - including fifteen for his own instrument,
the violin.
These two symphonies reveal Spohr
as a thoroughly accomplished composer. The music always moves
along with a sure sense of direction, and if there is a criticism
to be made it is that the ideas themselves do not necessarily
have a compelling personality.
The Symphony No. 2 opens with
an impressive sweep, and a sure orchestral touch in presenting
the material. Howard Griffiths shapes the themes with a sure
understanding of the early romantic idiom, whether it be in
the sweeping Allegro of the first movement or the sensitive
Adagio of the second. The North German Radio Orchestra
makes a good impression too, creating a most pleasing ensemble
sound.
The Symphony No. 8 is the stronger
work from the structural point of view, though the material
itself is equally pleasing in either symphony. Now there is
a compelling slow introduction to release the first movement’s
vibrant Allegro, making subtle links also with the Adagio
slow movement that follows. The Scherzo has a deft
touch, here delightfully phrased. The work was commissioned
by the Philharmonic Society of London, thus reflecting the international
stature that Spohr achieved during his lifetime.
Written at Kassel in 1842, and first performed
at Leipzig the following year - during
the era of Schumann and Mendelssohn - the Concert Overture
in the Serious Style alludes to the historic dichotomy between
the chamber and church styles. As such it might be regarded
as an early example of neo-classicism (or neo-baroque-ism);
but in truth the style remains that of the early romantic era,
readily comparable with that on display in the two symphonies.
There is nothing wrong with that, particularly when the performance
is so pleasing. Whether the music adds up to more than the sum
of its parts is another matter. In his useful insert note Bert
Hagels comments that ‘the work never had a genuine chance to
establish itself in the concert world’. This recording will
at least further the opportunities for a reappraisal of this
composer who is written about more often than he is actually
heard.
Terry Barfoot
