“Herr Hermstedt’s Concert as regards the Compositions executed, was one of the most attractive that could be heard. With the exception of Mozart’s Overture, and the Scena by Righini, all the pieces were of the composition of Concert-Master Spohr, and with the exception of the Clarinet-Concerto, all newly written. This Concerto, the first in C-Minor, and, as a Composition, the most brilliant of all Concerti for that instrument, was again listened to with great satisfaction. A grand Sonata for Violin and Harp, played by Herr and Madame Spohr, the leading theme of which must be pronounced masterly in conception and elaboration, and the second, consisting of a delightful Pot-Pourri of happily combined and most pleasingly handled melodies from the “Zauberflöte”,—this as well as each of the other pieces were received with the warmest approbation. We heard besides another Violin-Concerto[13] played by Herr Spohr and a Pot-Pourri for the Clarinet with Orchestral accompaniment. In the former, the first Allegro, as regards composition and execution pleased us least. Here and there, it seemed to us both tricky and overladen with ornament, and considering its contents, much too long; neither was the execution of the Virtuoso every where sufficiently distinct and clear. But the Adagio, as regards composition and execution is one of the finest we ever heard on this instrument, we may even say the very finest that was ever produced by any Virtuoso.”
Of the Oratorio, also, it speaks upon the whole, favourably. It contains not only “many details that are original and attractive, some even that are really charming, but which, also, too closely crowd upon and obliterate each other. Every hearer whether he agrees or not with Spohr in his idea of an Oratorio, that is, whether he may be disposed or not to tolerate its combination of almost every kind of treatment and style, or rather, to see them replace each other in turn—yet every hearer must be impressed with a lively interest in this work, and experience a real pleasure not unmingled with astonishment at several of its principal parts.”
According to a notice in the Musical Journal of the 8. November, I do not appear to have made any stay at Dresden, upon this journey. But in Prague I gave a Concert on the 12. November, and eight days after, my Oratorio at the Theatre. A very favourable notice of the former appears in the Musical Journal, which adverts especially to the “enchanting unity” of execution, from which the most perfect harmonic marriage of the two admirable artistes was to be recognised.
Of the performance of the Oratorio I alone remember that Fräulein Müller afterwards Madame Grünbaum, sang exquisitely in it, and that the work was right well received by the public.
I now hastened towards the chief object of my journey. Vienna was at that time indisputably the Capital of the Musical world. The two greatest Composers and Reformers of Musical taste, Haydn and Mozart had lived there, and there produced their Master-pieces. The generation still lived, which had seen them arise, and formed their taste in Art from them. The worthy successor of those Art-heroes, Beethoven, still resided there, and was now in the zenith of his fame, and in the full strength of his creative power. In Vienna therefore the highest standard for Art creations was set up, and to please there—was to prove one’s self a Master.
I felt my heart beat as we drove over the Danube-bridge, and thought of my approaching début. My anxiety was yet more increased by the reflexion that I should have to compete with the greatest Violinist of the day; for in Prague I had learnt that Rode had just returned from Russia, and was expected in Vienna. I still vividly recalled to mind the overpowering impression which Rode’s play had made upon me ten years before in Brunswick, and how I had striven for years to acquire his method and execution. I was now therefore anxious in the highest degree to hear him again, in order thereby to measure my own progress. My first question therefore on alighting from the carriage was whether Rode had arrived, and had announced a concert. This was answered in the negative, but with the assurance that he had long been expected.
It was now therefore a matter of importance to me to be heard before Rode, and I hastened as much as possible the announcement of my concert. I succeeded also in appearing first; but Rode had arrived meanwhile, and was present at the concert. To my great surprise I felt less intimidated than inspired by that circumstance, and played as well as I could have desired. The Musical Journal spoke of my appearance before “a crowded house” in the following manner:
“On the 17. December we had the pleasure to hear and admire Herr Louis Spohr and his wife at a concert. We subscribe gladly to the favourable opinions expressed of this worthy Artiste-pair and can only add that here also every one was charmed by their masterly play. Herr Spohr played a Violin-Concerto with a Spanish Rondo and at the end a Pot-Pourri, both of his composition; with his wife, he executed one of his published Sonatas for harp and violin. The composition both of the Concerto and this Sonata are excellent, and contrasted not a little with the watery, patchwork productions with which so many practising Musicians without talent or genius for composition, make their appearance here.”
By the advice of some kind friends I relinquished my intention of giving my Oratorio at my own expense, as I had projected doing in a second Concert; since the great expenditure which a large Orchestra and a numerous Chorus would have superadded to that of an usual Concert, forbade the hope to realise any profit from the undertaking. Yet as I was very desirous to have this work heard in Vienna, for I still considered it one of the grandest of its kind, I offered to perform it for the benefit of “the Widow’s and Orphan’s Society” on the condition only, that for its production, the society would provide a well appointed orchestra supported by the most distinguished Singers and Instrumentalists in Vienna. This condition was accepted, and fully carried out by the society, which provided a personel of three hundred assistants from among the best artistes in the city. The work was carefully studied in two grand rehearsals, and on its production, was performed better than I had yet heard it. I became anew enraptured with my creation, and with me several of the assistant Musicians, among whom more especially Herr Clement the Director of the Orchestra of the “Theatre an der Wien”.
He, had so thoroughly imbibed the spirit and substance of the work, that the day after its performance he was enabled to play to me on the Piano several entire parts, note for note, with all the harmonies and orchestral figures, without ever having seen the score. But Clement possessed a musical memory such perhaps as no other artiste ever possessed. It was at that time related of him in Vienna, that after he had heard several times “the Creation” of Haydn, he had learned it so thoroughly, that with the help of the text book he was able to write a full Pianoforte arrangement of it. He shewed this to old Haydn, who was not a little alarmed at it, thinking at first that his score had either been stolen or surreptitiously copied. Upon a nearer inspection he found the Pianoforte arrangement so correct, that after Clement had looked through the original score, he adopted it for publication.