Scarcely had Spohr arrived in Carlsbad, than he received a pressing invitation from the Landgrave of Fürstenberg, president of the society of music of Vienna, to direct there two grand performances of his renowned oratorio, “The Fall of Babylon,” upon the occasion of a festival at which 1000 singers would assist. But as this was to take place in November, and it would be necessary to ask for another “extraordinary” leave of absence to comply with the invitation, this was applied for through the Austrian embassy. But notwithstanding the signature of “Metternich” gave its imposing weight to the application, the Prince refused compliance, and thus not only was Spohr prevented going, but the performance of his oratorio was necessarily deferred to a more favourable opportunity.
Among the various incidents which this time occurred in agreeable relief and interruption to the daily routine prescribed for taking the baths, was first a concert given by the violinist Ernst, of which a letter speaks as follows: “The concert of so celebrated a virtuoso was quite an event for Carlsbad, and afforded us much pleasure. Besides the song scene of Spohr, he played several of his own things, some of which were very beautiful, curious compositions replete with all manner of difficulties and wonderful artistic resorts for display, and which he executed with great precision and ease; but although he played Spohr’s concerts with much care and great expression, yet we have not only heard it played by Spohr himself, but by his talented pupil Jean Bott, much more correctly. The overcrowded house presented a curious spectacle, for not only was the space allotted to the spectators, but the whole stage also, occupied by the public, which sat round disposed in a large semi-circle,” &c. But amusing scenes of another kind also occurred at Carlsbad. One day a good-natured invalid visitor of the baths took it into his head to give a little treat to the fifteen young serving-women attached to the baths, at which several hundred spectators were present; and above all, Spohr, with his characteristic good humour, took great pleasure at the sight of the assembled girls, dressed in their uniform (white gowns, green spencers, and pink aprons), each with a fresh-gathered rose in her hair, seated at a long table, and looking around on all the spectators with eyes beaming with pleasure as they partook of their treat of coffee and cake. At another time, by a similar but anonymous kind-hearted individual a parcel was sent to Spohr containing two enormous herrings, remarkable samples of their species, with the laconic inscription appended to them: “I love Spohr’s music! The great German Spohr will not despise the accompanying quite fresh herrings, a very rare, but permitted dish here. Carlsbad June 6.” Though Spohr had always been used to receive a great variety of presents, and frequently of the strangest kind, as tokens of esteem and admiration, yet he had never before received one of so surprising and comical a kind, at which, with Ernst, who happened to be present at the moment he received them, he laughed very heartily, and then without much speculation or care as to who the anonymous donor might be, ate with much relish the delicious fish, as a change from the scant prescriptive supper permitted to the bath patients. As the greatest moderation not only in physical but mental exertions and enjoyments formed part of the bathing cure, Spohr, as a conscientious patient, had at first considered it a duty to refrain from every musical excitement, particularly from that of composing, until the impulse became so strong within him that he thought it more prejudicial to suppress by force than to give some form to the vivid ideas that floated across his fancy; and thus with unforced readiness flowed from his pen the last part yet wanting to complete the fourth pianoforte trio which he had already begun in Cassel; and it being as it were the bubbling and overflow of the gaiety of his spirits, he was accustomed to call it by way of souvenir of the benefit he derived from the bubbling springs of Carlsbad, “Der Sprudelsatz” (The bubble piece). As however there was no good player on the violincello in Carlsbad, he thought he should be obliged to wait till his return to Cassel for a thorough performance of the trio; but during a short stay at Meiningen on his return journey, Edward Grund, the already frequently mentioned music director, with incredible diligence took all the requisite measures for getting up a quartet party on the same evening in his house, where Spohr had the unexpected opportunity of hearing his trio, with the aid of his wife and the distinguished violincellist Metzner, for the first time, which afforded also no little delight to the company present. As it also soon became a favorite piece with the musical circles of Cassel, Spohr kept it by him for a long time in manuscript, before he sent it to his publisher, Schuberth, who looked forward with truly restless impatience to the appearance of this trio of Spohr’s in order to make it public. (Op. 135.)
In the beginning of the year 1847 the day drew near at length, the celebration of which had for weeks beforehand set the natives of Cassel on the tip-toe of pleasurable expectation, that, namely, of his twenty-fifth year’s jubilee as director at the court theatre of Cassel. The lively interest taken far and near in this festival evinced itself in so many demonstrations of attachment and esteem towards the individual thus honoured, that a published account of them written by Dr. Frederick Oetker, the proceeds of which were devoted to charitable purposes, formed a complete pamphlet, for a short extract from which we have alone room here:
“Early on the morning of the 20th. January, the recipient of the day’s honours was awakened from his slumbers by a serenade played by his pupils Jean Bott and A. Malibran, who, assisted by musicians of the court orchestra, performed his second double quartet. This was followed by a long succession of congratulatory visits from relatives, friends, pupils, and admirers of all classes and from every quarter, who came to express their wishes for his health and happiness. From the society of St. Cecilia there came a well selected deputation, composed of representatives of soprani, alti, tenori and bass, in whose name the secretary Knyrim, the only remaining original member, expressed in hearty words their grateful acknowledgement of the many services rendered to art, and to the society in particular, by the honoured jubilant. These were succeeded by the postmaster-general Nebelthau, as member of the council of state, who presented Spohr a congratulatory address in writing from the chief magistrate of Cassel, and then the music director from Göttingen, Mr. Wehner, delivered a wreath of laurel from that place, accompanied with a congratulatory poem, and with a diploma nominating Spohr an honorary member of the singing association of Göttingen. Accompanied with a most obliging letter the King of Prussia sent to him the order of the red eagle, third class, and the Prince, who had some years before already conferred upon him the Hessian order of the lion, forwarded to him upon this occasion a further mark of distinction, nominating him music director-general, with grant of official character at court. The rescript of this patent was personally handed to Spohr by the chamberlain von Heeringen, who the previous year had been nominated intendant-general of the court theatre, in order at the same time to express both his good wishes and the high esteem he felt for Spohr as a man and as an artist, which he moreover proved upon this occasion by the splendid festal performances he had ordered at the theatre in celebration of this day. This consisted in a musical-dramatic production “of scenically connected music-pieces from the operas of Spohr,” the tickets of admission to which, besides those to the extra standing places, had been issued many days before, so that the house was actually crammed. When Spohr made his appearance in the box in the first tier, which had been appropriated to him and his family, he was received with the most tumultuous demonstrations of joy, with which the strains of his overture to the opera of “Alruna” soon mingled. This was followed by a tableau from “Zemira and Azor,” representing the union of the lovers. After the conclusion of this tableau, as also after each of the following scenes from Spohr’s operas: “Zemira”, “Zweikampf,” “Jessonda,” “Berggeist,” “Pietro von Abano,” “Alchymist,” and “Kreuzfahrer,” the fairy with her golden magic wand came upon the stage and introduced the succeeding scene each time with appropriate verses. After each piece of music the outburst of applause was repeated, and at its conclusion redoubled in energy, to be again resumed with equal perseverance as in succession the two overtures to the “Mountain Sprite” and to “Faust” were executed with remarkable precision under the direction of Bochmann the military band-master. Then followed an appropriately conceived festal-play called “Die Huldigung” (The Homage). The scene represented a handsome park ornamented with statues, vases and garlands; in the back ground a modest dwelling, but richly decorated with garlands of flowers: The house, in which Spohr was born, in Brunswick. Gardeners and maidens are busied in decorating the garden; to their question as to the purpose and occasion of the festival the steward informs them, telling them the name of the honoured jubilant, and in citing his works speaks also of ‘Die letzten Dinge’ and ‘Der Fall Babylons.’
“All now set up a shout of joy, and from every part of the house rang the enthusiastic cheers of the excited assembly. Upon this the orchestra struck up the polonaise in “Faust,” while the committee of the fete waited on Spohr to conduct him to a throne of flowers, where he was again greeted with a poetical address, and a crown of laurel placed upon his head “as Apollo’s favoured son,” amid the joyful vivats of the public. After the fete at the theatre was over, and he proceeded to partake of a family supper at the house of his son-in-law Wolff, he received late in the evening a brilliant serenade from the members of the lyrical association, who had assembled before the house by the light of numerous coloured lamps. The singing being concluded they then sent up a deputation to present the diploma of an honorary member of the society to the jubilant. Thus terminated this eventful day, but not the festivities; for the following day brought further congratulatory addresses in prosa and verse with honours of every kind, among which the presentation of the freedom of the city from the chief magistrate of Cassel, and as also worthy of mention, the gift of a costly silver vase from the joint members of the orchestra and theatrical company, presented by the committee of the festival.”
On the twenty-second of January another grand fete took place, given as a surprise to their friend and master by the members of the quartet circle, so frequently adverted to. After Spohr had been conducted with great ceremony into the presence of the company, composed of about seventy persons, a congratulatory poem composed by Dr. Oetker was read.
The musical part of the fete which now followed consisted of Spohr’s third double quartet, executed under the direction of his pupil Jean Bott; of two of his incomparable songs with clarinet accompaniment, sung by a distinguished dilettante; and the pianoforte quintet with wind-instrument accompaniment. After the conclusion of these extremely successful performances, all adjourned in the best spirits to the supper-room, where, seasoned with toasts both of earnest and mirthful import, the happy evening was brought to a close in an appropriate manner.
The account of this jubilee published shortly after by Fr. Oetker gave occasion at the same time to Spohr for the commencement of his autobiography. The author of that pamphlet having at the same time expressed the intention of following it up with a detailed account of his life, requested Spohr to furnish him first with the necessary notes; but he himself, while making the necessary sketch of it, took so much pleasure in recalling the varied events of each year as they presented themselves to his memory, that he conceived the idea of preferring to undertake its full detail himself.[40] With a lively interest he now immediately set himself to this work, which nevertheless proceeded but slowly, when the impulse for musical composition assumed again its mastery. He then first wrote six pièces de salon for violin and pianoforte, distinguished by the titles: Barcarole, Scherzo, Sarabande, Siciliano, Air varié and Mazurka, collected in one volume as Op. 135, published by J. Schuberth; these were followed by his fourth double quartet, and some months later, at the express wish of the Philharmonic Society of London, by the eighth symphony (G minor), which appeared at Leipzic as Op. 137 (Peters), in score and arranged for four hands for the pianoforte.