After so brilliant a success of Spohr’s oratorio, and after he had himself witnessed, as the “Spectator” expresses it—“How the orchestra and singers competed to shew him that England was the country of all others best fitted for the performance of his oratorio,” nothing could be more agreeable to him than the proposal made to him during his stay, to compose especially a new oratorio for the next Norwich musical festival, which would take place in 1842.
Scarcely was he returned to Cassel than professor Taylor sent him the English text of “The fall of Babylon,” of his composition, the text of which, though much to Spohr’s liking, it was necessary first to have translated into German, as he had not confidence sufficient in his knowledge of the English language to undertake the composition from the original text. Though the translation did not so completely succeed in a truthful rendering of the expressions and rhythm of the English text, as that this could subsequently be adapted to the composition without much alteration, it nevertheless sufficed so well for the desired object that Spohr could proceed at once upon a work which so greatly interested him. Filled with real inspiration for the task, he devoted thereto every leisure hour that remained to him from his numerous professional duties, nor did he rest until he had completed the whole and satisfied himself with its performance on the pianoforte at the St. Cecilia festival of 1840, that he had fully succeeded in it. In pursuance of an understanding with the Norwich committee a public performance of it with full orchestra was to take place in Cassel on the ensuing Good Friday of 1841 and a second at Easter 1842, but with these exceptions the work was to remain unused and in abeyance until the Norwich festival in the autumn of the latter year, and then first be made public simultaneously in England and Germany in both languages.—
But to return to the year 1840, which Spohr entered upon with great activity in the preparatory studies for the representation of the opera “The Lovers’ Duel,” which till then had never been performed in Cassel; for the principal characters of which he had just then found suitable performers. The first representation took place for the benefit of the relief fund, and with a very full house brought unusually good receipts, which however unfortunately were extracted from the treasury of the theatre on the following night in the most incomprehensible manner, and despite the well-secured locality in which the money was deposited. But a very small amount could then be collected to replace this loss to the relief fund, a circumstance which greatly marred the satisfaction Spohr had derived from the success of his opera, which had met with a most gratifying reception from the public.
About this time Spohr received an invitation from Aix-la-Chapelle to direct the musical festival of the district of the Lower Rhine, which was to be held there; on which occasion a very pressing solicitation for his leave of absence was addressed to the Prince on the part of the committee. This memorial had the desired effect; for shortly afterwards the Prince sent for Spohr, and tendered him of his own accord in the most friendly manner the leave of absence he had not yet solicited.
As every obstacle was now smoothed away, Spohr set out upon his journey at the end of May, and was not only received upon his arrival in Aix-la-Chapelle with serenades of welcome, but also on his putting up for each night at Frankfort and Cologne on his journey through. In the splendidly furnished house of the notary Pascal, in which Mr. and Mrs. Spohr found a most hospitable reception, the succeeding days devoted to the necessary rehearsals passed quickly and agreeably. On Whitsunday, in the theatre, which had been converted into a music saloon, Händel’s “Judas Maccabeus” was performed, of which some epistolary notices spoke as follows: “When Spohr entered the orchestra to conduct the oratorio he was received with enthusiastic applause; we had the best places in the first row reserved for us, exactly opposite to where the very prettily arranged mass of five hundred and forty-seven co-operators, brilliantly illuminated, presented a very charming coup d’œil. The music, which had already greatly pleased us by its splendid effect in the rehearsals, was now naturally heard to yet greater advantage. The solo singers—Mrs. Fischer-Achten, Albertazzi and Müller, Mr. de Vrucht from Amsterdam and Mr. Fischer—good as they were on the whole, did not make upon us the same impression of finished excellence as did the choruses, which completely charmed us. In the second concert also, in which besides Spohr’s “Lord’s Prayer,” the overture to “Medea,” the A major symphony of Beethoven, and Mozart’s Davidde penitente, were performed, Spohr upon every entry and exit was greeted with unbounded applause, and at the termination a wreath of laurel was presented to him by two young ladies. In the third concert, of a mixed character, Mrs. Fischer-Achten, and Albertazzi, with the celebrated Staudigl of Vienna, were respectively heard and excited general admiration. The singing of all three, was each in its kind what may be termed of the most perfect finish. As worthy finale to the whole, the repetition of the last magnificent chorus from Spohr’s “Lord’s Prayer” followed, which again drew from the audience the most enthusiastic bursts of applause....”
As on the following forenoon the brothers Müller of Brunswick gave a quartet concert in the “Redoutensaal,” Spohr delayed his departure, at their urgent entreaty, in order to play his third double quartet with them, which was again also rewarded with its usual rapturous ovation. In this manner was this grand festival brought to a successful termination, and the general satisfaction which it had elicited was but little detracted from by the reproving voice of Mr. A. Schindler, whose cartes de visites made him known as “ami de Beethoven,” and who in previous musical festivals had begun to distinguish himself by his disputes with Mendelssohn respecting his slow tempi in the conducting of works of Beethoven’s, and now also in a similar manner found fault with Spohr for his manner of conducting the A major symphony. This—with the exception of the general disapprobation that it elicited—had no further result than that Spohr, at the urgent and reiterated desire of the committee, replied to Schindler in a short but decisive letter, but which, couched in Spohr’s usual mild language, did not disturb the personal understanding of either during the festival.
After a few week’s return only, to Cassel, and during the theatrical vacation, Spohr set out upon another journey and proceeded first to Gandersheim, where all his brothers with their families were assembled, to pay a last visit to their mother, who was dangerously ill, and who, in spite of her suffering condition, felt extreme pleasure in seeing them round her. Although she had not left her room for several weeks, and had therefore been unable to go up stairs to the upper story of the house, yet when she heard that Spohr was going to play something with his wife in the music-room there, she requested to be assisted to get up there, “to hear her loved son for the last time, and in fancy to dream away in listening to his tones;” and upon that occasion, seated in the midst of her children, listened to him with joyful emotion and interest. As on the days immediately ensuing a visible improvement in her condition seemed to have taken place Spohr, in full hopes of greeting his mother once more upon his return, continued his journey to Lübeck with a mind more at rest. But alas! his hopes were not realised, for before he returned to Gandersheim he received the lamentable announcement of her death!
From Lübeck Spohr proceeded to Hamburg, where he arrived just in time to undertake the direction of his opera “Jessonda.” The performance of the opera, in which Mrs. Walker as Jessonda, and Mr. Reichel as Dandau, especially distinguished themselves, was in every respect a great success, and there were immense applause and loud demonstrations in honour of Spohr. As it took place immediately after the close of the performances of the Italian operas, the “Hamburger Zeitung” gave a comparative notice in its next issue of these two different kinds of musical entertainment. It began with the words: “On Saturday the whole song-loving company of Italian operatic performers departed in high spirits; on Sunday, Spohr the German master took the director’s chair in the town theatre to conduct his splendid “Jessonda” in person. With the former, abundance of noise, merriment, and somewhat of dissension, to-do, and submissive politeness—but here, calm, noble dignity, honest thanks, becoming demeanour, and permanent merit &c.” Further on it adds: “The lovers of music in Hamburg celebrated on Sunday a real musical festival in the theatre; they were not only enabled to express aloud their recognition of the German master, but they had the opportunity also of drawing a comparison between ‘Jessonda’ and ‘Lucretia Borgia.’ In ‘Jessonda’ all is tender yearning, and sweet hope, the golden age of fond first love: in “Lucretia Borgia” Hyena-like cunning in the poison-envenomed breast; nothing of love’s purity, love’s grosser passion alone; and in the same relative characteristic proportion is the poesy of the music.” No one experienced more delight at this new triumph of Spohr than his enthusiastic admirer Julius Schuberth, the well-known music publisher, under whose hospitable roof Spohr and his travelling companions spent most agreeably the four days of their stay in Hamburgh, which their kind host strove by every possible means, to render a series of festive pleasures and of distinguishing attentions. Among others a brilliant musical party was got up in which Spohr performed some of his quartetts, and was greatly charmed with Miss Unna’s beautiful execution in his quintet for the pianoforte.
Upon this occasion Schuberth expressed so great a wish to publish some similar grander pianoforte pieces of Spohr’s composition, that the latter was induced to write shortly after his return from Hamburg, his first trio for pianoforte, violin and violincello, and therewith at the same time fulfilled a wish that had been for years reiterated by Mrs. de Malsburg, the distinguished dilettante pianiste, to whom he then dedicated the work. This first trio by Spohr (Op. 119) was welcomed with great satisfaction by the musical world, and numerous journals far and near expressed their delight and thanks upon its appearance. The “Leipzic New Musical Journal” speaks of it in the following terms: “Although the great master has never written any thing of this kind until now, he nevertheless moves in this new genre with true artistic consciousness of power, and with genial freedom. The trio is one of the finest productions of the genius of Spohr, in which together with the greatest possible finish in form, a profusion of beauties of the first class, and master strokes of genius stand out in prominent relief. As the gem of the whole the scherzo and its trio must be mentioned. Here, as though at the stroke of the magician’s wand, a fairy island of the blessed rises to the imagination,—we are environed as though by a garden of wonders, a blooming oasis of sound full of the deep glowing splendour of oriental colouring!... It is moreover exceedingly remarkable how Spohr here understood the way to unite two elements which are otherwise strangers and indeed usually antagonistic to each other: the humoristic and the impassioned, elegiacally tender element of feeling....”