Louis SPOHR (1784-1859)

Some call the German violonist/composer LOUIS LUDWIG SPOHR the opposite of Paganini because he viewed technique as a mean to an end rather than an end in itself. Paganini called Spohr the greatest singer on his instrument, while Spohr was critical of Paganini.

Spohr was literally the inventor of modern conducting, being the first to use a baton rather than conducting from the keyboard or with a bow. He was known for his „on the string“ bowing, artful division of bow and tone control. He rejected artificial harmonics and employed a small amount of vibrato, which he could accelerate the practice of chromatic scales.

Spohr wrote 15 violin concertos, as well as two concertos for two violins, which form a link between Beethoven and Mendelsohn’s important concertos. The 8th is his most frequently performed today. He wrote a great deal of chamber music for strings, including important duets for violin and harp, written for himself and his wife. His nine symphonies are unfortunately rarely performed outside of Germany today.

Spohr was opposed to free or improvised ornamentation of melodic lines. He published his Violin School method in 1831 and taught hundreds of orchestral students. Ludwig Spohr can also be credited with developing the modern chin rest.