I had scarcely arrived in Cassel (New Year’s Day 1822), than I was summoned to an interview with the elector, who received me with great kindness, and said many flattering things to me. Among other subjects he expressed the hope to see his opera become by my exertions one of the most celebrated of Germany, and requested me to make such propositions as were best calculated to effect that object. In order to do that I requested a fortnight’s time, so that I might first make myself well acquainted with the means and materials at hand. After I had been present at a few rehearsals and performances, I then assumed my new post with the direction of Winter’s “Opferfest.” As the previous director of music, Benzon, had from all accounts, been so much wanting in authority, that the singers and the orchestra did not hesitate to oppose his regulations, which indeed led to his dismissal, I considered it immediately necessary to somewhat tighten the reins of discipline. I therefore became very strict at the rehearsals of the “Opferfest,” but did not find the least disposition to resist either in the singers, or in the orchestra; and already in the first opera which I directed, succeeded in producing a better ensemble than they had hitherto been accustomed to. This was also generally acknowledged, and immediately procured for me the confidence of the elector, as also of the whole theatrical personnel. As I already found some excellent voices among the singers, viz. the first tenor Gerstäcker and the prima donna demoiselle Dietrich, and ascertained that Feige the director of the theatre was negotiating for the engagement of several other eminent artists, I limited for the present the proposals which I now sent in to the mere increase and improvement of the personnel of the chorus and orchestra. The latter consisted in part of civilian musicians, and partly of musicians belonging to the band of the body-guard, among whom were several of great excellence. The elector had granted to the latter as well as to the civilian musicians a rescript of engagement for life, so that I could no longer carry out my notion of constituting the orchestra solely of civilian musicians, in order to avoid any collision between the military and the orchestral duties of the non-civilians. I hoped at least, however, to get rid of the objectionable regulations which obliged the military musicians to appear in full uniform, which upon my first visit to the theatre was a great eye-sore to me. But neither did I succeed in this, for upon my representing it to the elector he replied, “It is contrary to military etiquette for a soldier to appear before me otherwise than in full uniform;” and when I made answer that the close-fitting uniform made the orchestral duties more difficult, and that the high epaulettes in particular made it quite impossible for the violinists to hold their instrument in the proper way, he proposed to give the musicians a particular and convenient uniform without epaulettes, for the orchestral service, rather than give up his whim. He rejected also my then suggested proposal to give the civilian-musicians the same kind of uniform; and in this manner this party-coloured orchestra remained unchanged to the astonishment of all foreigners, until the year 1832, when the present elector became co-regent in the government.
But my propositions for the increase and improvement of the orchestra were all adopted, and I received instructions to engage some more good violinists, and some first-rate solo-players for the leading wind instruments. By this means the opportunity was afforded me of bringing my brother near to me once more, who, after the expiration of his engagement in Vienna had met with an engagement in the Berlin court orchestra. I was equally successful with my former pupil and friend Hauptmann, and both received a rescript of engagement for life. Some excellent musicians were soon found also for the wind instruments, and by this increase and by diligent study and exercise, the orchestra became one of the best in Germany, and has so remained, in spite of all the personal changes until now (1853).
But I must revert to the year 1822. My accession to office was celebrated by the whole theatrical company, by a grand dinner, at which the two heads of the theatrical administration, the intendant Mr. von Manger, director of the police, and director-general Feige presided. Songs, speeches and toasts were sung and made in my honour, and I felt myself quite at home in a circle where I was met on every side with so much friendliness, and indeed in so hearty a manner. As the Elector, who in the first years of his rule was very generous, had made Messrs. von Manger and Feige grants of money for special performances for the relief of native and travelling musicians, this gave rise to brilliant and interesting soirées at both their houses. These meetings were enlivened by genius and wit, and there prevailed thereat a joviality which though somewhat free was yet decorous. I at first therefore frequented them with pleasure; but towards the time when I expected my family I gradually withdrew from them, partly because I was obliged to confess to myself that my wife would not quite approve of this circle and partly because I was fearful of endangering my official authority by a too companionable intercourse with the singers.
A few days after my arrival in Cassel I was presented to the Electress and her daughters, the Princesses Caroline and Marie, and was invited to their evening parties. At one of these I was requested to play some of my quartets, which I expressly practised beforehand with the most distinguished members of the court-orchestra. Messrs. Wiele, solo violinist, Barnbeck, first violinist, and Hasemann, first violincellist (my former quartetist in Frankfort, who had been engaged at Cassel shortly before). These music parties, which were much spoken of, were probably the reason why the Elector, who, separated from his wife, never joined her evening circle, gave me the order to give a court-concert, in order to afford an opportunity for himself and the Countess Reichenbach to hear me play. This concert, for which I enlisted the services of all the talent among the singers and court-orchestra, was given in the grand saloon of the palace, before a brilliant company (in which of course the Electress did not appear, as the Countess Reichenbach occupied her place), and as it was the first at the new court, it made a great sensation. It was, however, the only one for a long time, as the Elector and the Countess took but little interest in concert music.
By the wish of the orchestra I assumed also the direction of the concerts which they gave in the new town-hall saloon, and appeared also at one of them as solo player. In the first years their receipts were divided, as they had previously been, among the members of the orchestra; but later, upon my proposition, they were appropriated to a relief-fund for the widows and the families of deceased members of the orchestra, and managed by a committee according to rules and regulations devised for that purpose. This relief fund, which from that period was supplied from the receipts from the concerts given every winter by the court orchestra and those from the performance of an oratorio on Good Fridays, is still in existence (1853), and in the course of years has alleviated the distress of many widows and orphans of the members of the orchestra. But for several years past the concerts have been no more given in the town-hall, but in the court theatre, from the time the former Elector became patron of the institution, who, as little as the present Elector, could make up his mind to be present at a concert given anywhere else than in the theatre.
(Resumed in April 1858 after a pause of five years.)
(In this continuation, of the Journal, written in Spohr’s seventy-fifth year, the manuscript would no longer permit of being printed so verbally as previously, and here and there, to avoid too much prolixity, it was necessary to make omissions. Some gaps, nevertheless, which required filling up have been so far completed only as the citation of Spohr’s own words in letters written to absent friends, would permit of,—so that the reader may rely upon the subject matter as faithfully given and that only Spohr himself speaks, without any additions from the pen of others, up to the mournful period (June 1858) when his biographical notes, which reach to the year 1838, break off altogether.)
Shortly after my arrival in Cassel, I was invited by the countess Hessenstein to a music-party. I there met several dilettanti of the town, who all sang, though in their own very bad style only. As nevertheless some of them had the gift of good voices, it suggested of me the idea of directing my exertions on that side also, and beginning by the institution of a choral society. I therefore formed an acquaintance with some of the singers, communicated my plan to them, and we immediately arranged to meet on an early day in order to consult further upon the steps necessary to be taken. As result of this meeting a code of regulations was drawn up, and as early as the 22nd March following an invitation was sent round to the dilettanti of Cassel, signed by myself, Mr. von Steuber, and secretary Knyrim, to join the society we were about to establish under the name of the “Society of St. Cecilia,” in order, “after the example of the majority of the larger towns of Germany, to strive here also towards the same noble aim, to awaken and cultivate a pure and correct taste for music of an exalted and earnest character.” As the enterprise met with a cordial welcome, the society was soon formed, and upon its opening began first with the study of Mozart’s incomparable Ave Verum, then with Haydn’s Hymns of Thanks, and Mozart’s first mass, followed by a Salve Regina by Hauptmann, a charmingly beautiful composition in the real, pious ecclesiastical style. Meanwhile the number of members had increased to more than fifty, and such satisfactory progress was made in the weekly rehearsals, that already in the first year of its institution the society performed several times in the catholic church accompanied by the organ, during divine service, masses by Hauptmann and others.
In the theatre also, after I had got to know the singers and orchestra more intimately, my sphere of action began to extend itself. The first quite new work studied under my direction was the opera “Zemira and Azor,” which I had written at Frankfort, and which was first performed on the 24th March. A young, talented singer, Miss Canzi, who was just then on a professional visit to Cassel, sang the part of Zemira, and Gerstäcker, the then much admired first tenor of our stage, the part of Azor. As the other characters of the opera were also well represented, it could not fail to be as well received here as at Frankfort, so that not only was it repeated during Canzi’s stay, a few days afterwards, but also immediately studied by her successor, Miss Roland, and given several times during the course of the year with great applause. But far more pleasure than from the enthusiastic approbation of the public, did I receive from the circumstance that the opera pleased me, who had not heard it for two years, and I was a still more severe judge of my later productions. I was also now more than ever convinced, that this, like many of my compositions required to be given in strict accordance with the spirit of the work to please the non-connoisseur as well; and that my music, if negligently played, can readily be so spoiled, that the connoisseur himself would be at a loss to understand it. Meanwhile, in the beginning of March 1822 my family arrived under the protection of my brother Ferdinand, who had fetched them from Dresden on his way here from Berlin, and we removed together to the house I had hired in the Bellevue. Once more settled down in the domestic circle I immediately began to compose the new opera “Jessonda,” and finished it in December of the same year. [In a letter written to Speyer of Frankfort on 26th January 1823, he says: “I have been latterly so much engaged upon a new opera that I have somewhat neglected everything else. It is now ready, and I am right glad to have completed so important a work. If I expect more from this opera than from the earlier ones, it is because of my greater experience, and the inspiration I felt in the study of almost every ‘number’ of the successfully written libretto. In order to devote myself to the work in my hours of inspiration only, I have allowed myself also more time with this than with all the former ones.”] Some “numbers” from it—the overture, an air of Jessonda’s, and the well-known duet between Amazili und Nadori—were performed the very same winter at the subscription concerts, and my daughter Emilia gained much applause in them. The entire opera was first represented upon our stage on the birthday of the Elector, the 28th July, in the following summer, and was received with general acclamation. [In a letter of the 2nd August 1823, appears, further: “You wish to hear from me something respecting the first representation of ‘Jessonda;’ it is a subject scarcely becoming me to write upon, for without wishing to do so, I must nevertheless speak in praise of it. The effect was great! It is the fashion here, upon birthdays to receive the court only with applause, and then the opera is listened to without any loud demonstration of approbation. It should also have been so now; but already before the end of the first act a storm of applause burst forth, and etiquette was forgotten for the rest of the evening. The performance was excellent. Gerstäcker, Miss Roland, Hauser were grand, Miss Braun was endurable at least, and better than in other characters. The chorus and orchestra, scenery, dances, spectacle combats, storm, decorations, costume, every thing, was excellent.... This work has made me very happy, and I have reason to hope that the opera will please much in other places.”]