Spitta

(shpit’-ta), (Julius Aug.) Philipp, Wechold, Hoya, Hanover, Dec. 27, 1841—Berlin, April 13, 1894; teacher and prof. musical history; wrote a no- South well, 1769—Kensington, 1827; table life of J. S. Bach (2 vols., 1873-80), etc. Spof’forth, Reginald, Nottingham, c. glees, etc. Spohr (shpor), Ludwig (in his autobiography he calls himself Louis), Brunswick, April 5, 1784—Ca el, Oct. 22, 1859; eminent violinist and conductor; notable composer and teacher. Son of a physician who removed to Seesen, 1786; pupil of his mother, and at 5 studied with Riemenschneider (vln.) and Dufour; then with Kunisch, Hartung and Maucourt, Brunswick; at 14 he played a concerto of his own at court. He became a member of the Ducal Orch.; 1802 pupil of Fz. Eck, whom he accompanied to St. Petersburg; 1803, returned to the Ducal Orch.; 1804 toured with great succ.; 1805, leader Duke of Gotha’s orch.; m. Dorette Scheidler (d. 1834), the harp player and toured with her, 1807 and 1809. 1836 he m. the pianist Marianne Pfeiffer (d. 1892); 1812, after brilliant concerts at Vienna, leader at the Th. an der Wien; 1815, toured Italy (playing a concertante of his own with Pagan in i at Rome); 181719 opera-cond. at Frankfort; prod. succ. ‘“Faust’’; 1820, visited England with his wife, played at Philharm. Concerts, and prod. there two symphs.; introducing into England the habit of conducting with a bit on. Gave concerts at Paris with little succ. From 1822 ct.cond. at Ca el; 1857, retired for political reasons on a reduced pension. During his period as a cond. he prod. Wagner’s “‘Fliegende Hollinder” (1842), and “Tannhéuser” (1853), but could not overcome the opposition to a production of ‘‘ Lohengrin.” He soon recognised Wagner as the greatest living dramatic composer, but did not care for Beethoven or Weber. He is among the first of the second-best composers, his highest attainments being the opera “Je onda’”’ (Ca el, 1823), the oratorio “Die Letzten Dinge” (Ca el, 1826; in England as “The Last Judgment’); the grand symph. “Die Weihe der Téne’’ (‘‘The Consecration of Tone,” 1832) and the cla ic vin.-concertos. His “Violin-School” (1831 in 3 parts), isa standard. €. 11 operas in all; dram. cantata, “Das Befreite Deutschland’; a ma , etc., with orch.; 9 symphs.; No. 4 op. 86 in F (‘““Weihe der Téne’’); No. 6 op. 116, G (“ Historical”; dedicated to the London Philh. Soc.); 7 op. r21, C (“Irdisches und Gottliches Menschen leben’’) for 2 orchs.; 8 op. 137, G min. (ded. to the London Philharm.); 9 op. 143, B min. (‘‘Die Jahreszeiten’”’), 8 overtures, and 15 vin:-concertos; No. 8 (op. 47, in A min., “in modo d’una scena cantante’) “quartet-concerto” for 2 vins., vla., and ’cello with orch.; 2 concertantes for 2 vins. with orch.; grande polonaise for vins. orch., clar.-concertos; much chamber-mus. Autobiogr. (Ca el, 1860, 31861, 2 vols.); Biogr. by Malibran (Frankfort, 1860); by H. M. Schletterer (1881).