Spohr's Symphony No. 6, titled 'Historical Symphony in the style and taste of four different periods,' was commissioned by London's Philharmonic Society in 1839.
Composition History
Spohr's ten symphonies span 46 years, a period that saw music transition from the Classical era of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven to the Romantic era of Berlioz, Liszt, and Wagner.
Compositional Technique
Each movement of Spohr's Sixth Symphony reflects a different period in music history: Bach-Handel (1720), Haydn-Mozart (1780), Beethoven (1810), and the 'Very Latest Period' (1840).
Composer Biography
Spohr's career included roles as music director at the court of Gotha, orchestra leader at Vienna's Theater an der Wien, and opera director in Frankfurt.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Spohr was an important link in the development of music from Classical to Romantic, through his use of chromatic harmony, formal experiments, and programmatic symphonies.
Composer Biography
Louis Spohr, born in 1784, joined the court orchestra in Brunswick as a fifteen-year-old violinist and became the protégé of the Duke of Brunswick.
Cultural Impact
Spohr was involved in the revival of Bach's music, acquiring the autograph of Bach's 15 Inventions and 15 Sinfonias in 1809 and performing Bach's motets and the St Matthew Passion.
