Louis Spohr (1784–1859) was one of the most popular musicians of the early Romantic period, but of his considerable output (including 10 symphonies, 15 violin concertos, nine operas and a large amount of chamber music), only the Octet op.32 and the Nonet op.31 are heard regularly today. Spohr established his name as a virtuoso violinist and completed his Violin method in 1831. As a conductor, he contributed to the increasing use of the baton to direct performances. He travelled widely in Europe, visiting London for the first time in 1820, when he directed a Philharmonic Society concert, and returning four times between 1843 and 1853. This autobiography, begun in 1847, gives a lively (but not necessarily always accurate) account of life as a professional musician. Spohr's own account ends at June 1838, and the book was completed by family members using materials provided by his wife.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. This content downloaded from 202.28.191.34 on Thu, 31 Dec 2015 15:38:54 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES. OCTOBER I, I880. THE MUSICAL TIMES. OCTOBER I, I880. 492 492individuality of form, which was based upon the development and elaboration of contrasting melodies and nottvi, and which distinguished it from all other instrumental pieces. This characteristic peculiarity, the germ of which, at least, existed already in the compositions of Domenico Scarlatti, became equally manifest in the three movements of which subsequently the sonata consisted, taking its model, no doubt, from the alternation of rest and motion as represented in the existing Italian Sinfonia. Examples might be quoted in this respect from the violin compositions of the Italians Corelli and Vivaldi and from the pianoforte sonatas of the German Johann Kuhnau. In Italy, particularly the Concerti grossi, o.e., compositions for several instruments, exhibit this arrangement in three movements while Johann Sebastian Bach has written a similar " Italian Concerto" for the pianoforte. The movements consist in an Allegro, Andante, and a final Presto, the Erst and the last being written in the same key. Greater individual depth was infused into the sonata by the French school of composers notably by F. Couperin (whose compositions of this class consist, however, still of one movement only) while the great organists of Northern Germany contributed their mastery in harmony to the development of the art-form in question, and even J. S. Bach approaches in this respect more nearly his French than his Italian contemporaries. The immediate precursor of our " Father of the Symphony," however, was a German, the son and disciple of the great Sebastian-viz., Philipp Emanuel Bach. In his " Sonatas " the form of this particular class of composition has become lSnally determined and it remained for Joseph Haydn to adopt and develop it both in the quartet and the symphony. Before examining more closely the special and creative merits of the plan upon which the sonata of Ph. E. Bach is constructed, for the purpose of showing why Haydn should be looked upon as the originator of its adoption in modern symphony, it will be necessary to cast a cursory glance over the artistic career of the master in order to arrive at a due appreciation of the great and far-reaching artistic deed he thereby achieved.(To be co?ttinxed.) _ . _ THE GREAT COMPOSERS, SKETCHED BY TH EM SELVES. BY J OSEPH BENNETT. NO. VII.-SPOH R (continued from page ,50). SPOHR was engaged for the Philharmonic season of I820. He does not mention the sum agreed upon but speaks of it as "considerable,?' as, indeed, it should have been, seeing that the...