Spohr was a champion of other composers, including Beethoven, Weber, and the young Wagner, even conducting early performances of Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman' and 'Tannhäuser'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Louis Spohr opposed the national romantic school of composition, which he considered vulgar and bombastic, instead championing structural discipline and emotional restraint.
Composer Biography
Spohr's lifelong interest in dialogue and responsorial possibilities in music was sparked at age eighteen when he witnessed an Orthodox church ritual in St Petersburg.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Louis Spohr, the composer, sought to prioritize musical integrity over superficial showmanship in his concertos, despite also excelling in solo virtuoso works.
Performer Biography
Henning Kraggerud, one of the violinists on this recording, plays a 1744 Guarneri del Gesù instrument, provided by Dextra Musica AS.
Compositional Technique
Louis Spohr pioneered the use of the Leitmotiv in his operas 'Faust' (1813) and 'Jessonda' (1822), predating Wagner's famous use of the technique.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in the Jar Church in Oslo, Norway, from February 15th to 18th, 2008, with Sean Lewis as producer, engineer, and editor.
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