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

New York March 30 1844

To Mr Louis Spohr

Dear friend.

I have an opportunity to write by Mr Scharfenberg who is returning to Europe on business and returns next September to New York – I suppose your daughter Madame Zahn has written all that is interesting of musical matters in N. York – She no doubt has mentioned the influx of violinists from Europe which have visited us the past year – Artot, Vieutemps + Bull have been all the rage
Bull by means of extraordinary puffing in the newspapers1 has made the most money – at the 5 concerts he gave here on his first visit here he cleared $ 10.000 – he has done well in the south also – all of them woo him in Mexico Havanna + the south during the winter they return here in a few weeks – Bull played your 8th concerto, but did it very poor justice – You know what Bull is better than I can tell you – Vieutemps is esteemed by artist here very highly as a violinist – We had a symphony of you performed on the 16th in + at the Philharmonic Society NY.2 – it is the one you wrote for the Philharmonic London – if you should feel so disposed we should like to have a dedication from your gifted pen in this new world. –
Your Grand Symphony for double orchestra descriptive of the three periods of life is to be played at Mr Timm's concert on the 9th of April3 – If you have any thing new of your own that would be interesting4 that has not reached us here Mr Scharfenberg will be happy to take charge of them. – I read with pleasure accounts in the English papers flattering accounts of your visit to England5 in /42. Please remember me affectionately to Mr Hauptmann, and to all enquiring friends – with best respects to your family I remain your affectionate

& grateful pupil
U C Hill
59 Franklin St.



Der letzte erhaltene Brief dieser Korrespondenz ist Spohr an Hill, 01.09.1841. Der nächst erhaltene Brief dieser Korrespondenz ist Hill an Spohr, 16.11.1844.

[1] Vgl. Vera Brodsky Lawrence, Strong on Music. The New York Music Scene in the Days of George Templeton Strong, Bd. 1 Resonances 1836-1849, Chicago 1995, S. 200ff.

[2] Das Konzert fand am 16.03.1844 statt (vgl. das Programm im Archiv der New Yorker Philharmoniker, sowie: Lawrence, S. 240f.).

[3] Henry Christian Timm führte Spohrs 7. Sinfonie („Irdisches und Göttliches im Menschenleben“) in seinem Konzert am 16.04.1844 auf (vgl. Lawrence, S. 242).

[4] Hier gestrichen: „Mr. Scharfenberg“.

[5] Spohr war im Juli 1843 nach London gereist, um dort eine Aufführung seines Oratoriums „Der Fall Babylons“ zu leiten. Zur Darstellung in der britischen Presse vgl. Kommentar zu Spohr an Adolph Hesse, 28.08.1843.

Kommentar und Verschlagwortung, soweit in den Anmerkungen nicht anders angegeben: Wolfram Boder (02.05.2017).