Upon Spohr’s entry into the room he was greeted with loud applause, and addressed in a speech by Mr. Habenec, who invited him to direct his symphony in person, as at the next winter concerts, the society intended to perform it, and it would therefore be of the utmost value to all, to be initiated by the personal direction of the composer himself into its mode of performance. In reality, also, many indications and repetitions were necessary upon the occasion, until every thing, went satisfactorily; but Beethoven’s pastoral symphony, which followed, and had been frequently played, was executed with that masterly precision for which that orchestra was so celebrated.
On the following day Spohr set out on his return to Cassel, which he again left after the lapse of a few weeks, to comply with an invitation from his native town of Brunswick, where they had long desired to give a grand musical festival in his honour, and had therefore made arrangements to have a performance of his oratorio the “Fall of Babylon,” at the end of September.
On his way thither he received a foretaste of the Brunswick festivities, at Seesen, where he slept the first night, and where he had passed the first years of his childhood; the inhabitants of that place having been thereby induced to believe that it was really his birth-place. He was greatly surprised at being welcomed immediately upon his arrival here with a kind and most hearty address and ushered with much ceremony into the handsomely decorated grand room of the hotel, where he found disposed in a wide semicircle, symmetrically arranged, a selection from all the musical talent of the young folks of Seesen, with the members of the choral society of that place; who, besides singing several songs, executed a chorus from “Die letzten Dingen” and a pleasing poem composed especially for the occasion, addressed to Spohr, and arranged for four voices.
Brunswick was no less demonstrative in celebrating the presence of its illustrious guest, and detailed notices of an impromptu festival given to Spohr are furnished by several letters, in which the brilliant external display, as well as the expressive and appropriately arranged musical entertainment, appealed with equal force and charm to the heart and mind. A cantata set to music by Methfessel for female voices and chorus, “Welcome to Spohr,” was first sung, with a soft accompaniment of wind instruments placed out of sight in the background, and executed by them in the most finished manner. But scarcely had the guest so honoured time to express his thanks at the conclusion of this pretty song, when quite unexpectedly, and in striking contrast with it, a powerful chorus of male voices from the opposite side of the hall began a second “festive song to Spohr,” which prepared the minds of all for the enjoyment of the subsequent more exhilarating festivities.
On the following day Spohr directed the performance of his oratorio: “The fall of Babylon,” in the Ægydian church, which was here also executed with great spirit, and was well received. The circumstance that its performance took place in the same church in which more than 60 years before he was baptised as an infant greatly increased the interest of the day, and gave occasion to several other poetic effusions.
A grand concert of a mixed kind concluded the festivities of the day; the first part of which comprised the overture to “King Lear” by Berlioz, directed by Kapellmeister Müller, airs from “Oberon” and “Jessonda” an adagio for violin by Spohr, executed by concert-director Müller, and Maurer’s concertante for four violins (played by Müller, Zimmermann, C. Müller jun. and Jean Bott of Cassel); the second part consisted of Spohr’s fifth symphony, C minor. Thus ended this pleasing festival, the heartfelt pleasure at which was alone saddened to Spohr by thoughts of his beloved father, who, up to the few months preceeding his death in Brunswick had passed the last years of his life in Seesen, but who, after watching for years at a distance the career of his son with pleasurable pride, could now no longer be a witness of the high esteem and honour shewn to him by his native town.
At the end of the year Spohr received an invitation to a grand musical festival at New-York—the first from that side of the Ocean, to the direction of which he had been unanimously selected at a general meeting of the society of music of that city, “as the first of all living composers and directors of music.” There were to be two performances of sacred and two of secular music, and above all his oratorio of the “Fall of Babylon”—“the fame of which had spread from England to the new world,” was to take precedence. Although such a proposal might have had great attractions for Spohr, and have yet more incited his constant love of travel; and although in New York he would have moreover the pleasure of seeing again his daughter Emily, who with her husband and child had emigrated there some years before, yet he soon made up his mind to decline it, as a residence there of the few weeks only which the duties of his place would have perhaps permitted, would scarcely have compensated for the fatigues of a long voyage.
On New Year’s Day 1845, Spohr’s new opera, “The Crusaders,” was performed for the first time; and not only upon the first night, but upon the quickly succeeding further performances, it met with an unexampled brilliant reception for Cassel. Spohr, who had looked forward with particularly anxious expectation to the success of this work, was much gratified at this result, and wrote to his friend Hesse as follows: “That my opera should have made so deep and lasting an impression upon the public, the lesser number of which only consisted of musically educated persons, I ascribe to the truthful character of my music, which aims only at representing the situation perfectly, and discards all the flimsy parade of modern opera-music, such as florid instrumental soli and noisy effects.[39] And I was furthermore exceedingly pleased that the singers, who did not find in their parts anything of that which usually gains for them the applause of the crowd, evinced nevertheless at every rehearsal a greater interest in it, and a zeal to study such as I never before observed in them. But the result shews also, that this style of song, which is so convenient for every one, and affords the opportunity of displaying the best tones, and the degree of feeling and expression which each is capable of, is a very grateful one; for never were our singers so applauded, and after the second performance they were all called for together on the stage.” The newspapers having circulated a great deal in praise of the new opera, and it having become more extensively known by the pianoforte arrangement which was shortly afterwards published by J. Schuberth, it was soon announced for performance at other theatres in Germany, viz. at Berlin, Dresden, Brunswick and Detmold; but in other (catholic) cities, like Munich, Vienna &c., objection was taken to the libretto, which had been asked for examination, and therefore the performance was abstained from.
As Spohr was invited to direct personally the first performance of his “Crusaders” at Berlin, he was desirous that this should take place during his theatrical vacation; and although he was apprised from there that it was the most unfavourable season of the year for it, as the chief characters of his opera could not be satisfactorily represented till after the return of the absent principal singers, he nevertheless though it more advisable to do without their assistance, than by a longer delay to make the possibility of his coming a matter of uncertainty.