Autograf: Universitätsbibliothek Kassel - Landesbibliothek und Murhardsche Bibliothek der Stadt Kassel (D-Kl), Sign. 4° Ms. Hass. 287[Taylor, E.:36

via France.

Dr. Spohr
Hesse Cassel
Germany


Red Lion Court. Feb. 21„ 1843

My Dear & honoured Friend,

You will, I am sure, conceive the joy with which I received the news which your letter communicated - & the delight with which I hailed the possibility of your visiting England this year. I instantly informed Mr. Watts, & yesterday was summoned to a meeting of the Philharmonic Directors. There were present Messr. Griffin, Neate, Loder, T. Cooke, Anderson & Lucas, to whom I send all that part1 of your letter which concerned them. They all hailed the acquiecence contained in it with great joy & the possibility of changing the date of the last Concert but one(???) was long & earnestly discussed – but – I regret to say that the unanimous conviction of the Directors was that the date of the Concert could not be altered. The months of May & June are, essentially, the musical season of London – when, as an Italian musician said to me last year there is „il lavoro d‘un Anno nelle due Mese.“ Benefit & other Concerts succeed each other in careless sucessions, & the West end of London seems music mad. Now all these other Concerts await the appointment of the Philharmonic Concert nights, & fix theirs accordingly. The night you propose is already occupied by a Concert in which many of the Philharmonic Band are engaged. Then every Sunday, Monday & Saturday is the Italian Opera, & then are other reasons, which it would be tedious to explain, why the next night (Monday) could not be changed for another.
The official decision of the Directors has been thus communicated to me.

45. Cirencester Place
Feb. 20. 1845
Dear Sir
I am desired by the Director of the Philharmonic Society to request that you will inform Dr. Spohr taht they find it impossible to change the date of the 7th Concert, but shall be happy to offer him Thirty Pound for the 8th nicht July 3 as payment of his expenses. I am
Dr Sir
Yours truly
W. Watts

Now, altho‘ you gave me authority to conclude & settle the terme, I had rather have them to your own decision, and therefore you are free to accept or reject them as you please. I believe it is the largest sum we paid to an individual by the Society for a single night; and it is right I should state that the Society is, by no means, in a properous state, that their subscribers are, compared to what they were, few, and that their prospects are any thing but bright.
We did not discuss, at much lenght, what you should play: but the strong wiches of the Directors eividently are that you should play a Concerto – that they will wicsh you, also to play one of your double Quartets or a Quintet. I have no doubt. But these points, I am sure, will be adjuted to your mutual satisfaction.
I told the Directors of your wish – and, I added, my intention, that if you came, the Fall of Babylon should be performed: and that whatever profit resulted from the performance should be – as it ought to be – yours. Under ordinary cirumstances this would not be much – The Hanover Square Rooms will not contain more than 600 persons, & the expense of such a band as you wd. require – hire of the Room, Advertisments &c. would be £ 250. But the opinion of the Directors present (in which opinion I concern) was that the members of the Philharmonic Band would all give your their services, & ful & pride in being allowed to show you such a mark of their respect. Should this be the case, the expense to you would be [co]nsiderably lessened, & the profit therby increased[.] I am very anxious to offer any inducement that I can p[???]2 you to come, and I hope this will be one. I will make all the arrangements for you of every sort.
One suggestion only allow me to make. When it is known that you are coming, you will, probably, have applications to play at different Concerts. Let me advise you not to make any such engagement without my knowing it, [except where you know the parties who apply.]3 I need not tell
[...]4
you that there are in London, as well as many eminent and honourable Musicians, many scamps & Charlatans, whom you don‘t know, though I do. In the society of the latter, I am sure you would not wish to be found. Many, many thanks for your kindness to my dear Peggy5 – to whom I have adeded a few lines. With best wishes to Mad. Spohr I am

My Dr friend Ever Yours Edw. Taylor

Autor(en): Taylor, Edward
Adressat(en): Spohr, Louis
Erwähnte Personen: Anderson, George Frederick
Cooke, Thomas
Griffin, George Eugène
Loder, George
Lucas, Charles
Neate, Charles
Taylor, Margaret
Watts, William
Erwähnte Kompositionen: Spohr, Louis : Der Fall Babylons
Erwähnte Orte: London
Erwähnte Institutionen: Philharmonic Society <London>
Zitierlink: www.spohr-briefe.de/briefe-einzelansicht?m=1843022134

Spohr



Dieser Brief ist die Antwort auf Spohr an Taylor, 08.02.1843. Spohr beantwortete diesen Brief am 02.03.1843.

[1] Vgl. bibliografische Angaben und Kommentar zu Spohrs Vorbrief.

[2] Textverlust durch Siegelausriss.

[3] Über der Zeile eingefügt.

[4] Hier Textverlust durch abgetrennten unteren Blattrand?

[5] „Peggy“ = mittelalterlliche Form von Meggy, Abk. f. Margaret (Taylors Tochter Margaret war zu dieser Zeit bei Spohr in Kassel zu Besuch).

Kommentar und Verschlagwortung, soweit in den Anmerkungen nicht anders angegeben: Karl Traugott Goldbach (25.01.2019).