Edward Taylor an Louis Spohr in Kassel

D^r. Louis Spohr
Hesse Cassel
Germany

via France¹


N^o. 2 Duke Street_
Adolphi
London. Feb. 18. 1848

My dear & honoured Friend

Although I have no affairs of business to call upon me to unite to you, I cannot reliquish the pleasure of sometimes exchaning a little conversation with you by letter – ever though I have very little of news to communicate.
In the first place let me thank you for the welcome letter you wrote on you return home.
I rejoined to learn that your visit have had been a some of pleasure to you as well as to Madame Spohr & her sister.² That it was so to me & mine you will easily believe. To have you & yours as my geusts is at once to me the highest konour & the greatest pleasure.
Since your departure I have heard very little music, but have been content to live upon the remembrance of what I heard when you was here. The double Quartet has haunted me ever since I heard it.³
We had a very fine meeting of the Purcell Club (Society) lately, at which we performed all his Music for the Tempest (Shakspeare‘s⁴ Play altered by Dryden) and some of her noble Anthems.
Perhaps you may have heard that Julien has been very unsuccessful with his speculation at Drury Lane Theatre, and therefore I fear there is no chance of our hearing one of your Operas there. His place, in my opinion, was sure to fail. He began with an English version of Lucia di Lammermore[.] Now having already in London two Italian Opera Houses⁵, all persons who wish to hear Donizetti‘s Operas, have abundant means of having their taste gratified. For myself, an English version of a modern Italian Opera is perfectly detestable – and accordingly I have never been to Drury Lane Theatre since M. Julien had the management of it.
Music has never flourished at our Theatres since Bishop gave up writing, that is – since it had been attempted to substitute Operas written on the Italian plan, for those which were constructed on the genuine English model. Every nation has its own peculiar school of⁶ music, and any attempt to substitute another produces only a feebly copy instead of a good original. All our composers now are feeble & poor: mere imitators of what they cannot rival.
I am looking forward with great interest to the arrival of your Sinfonia.⁷ Costa is an arden admirer of your compositions, & he has promised me that it shall not be performed till he is fully staisfied with the rehearsals.
I heard, with great regret, of the death of Madame Spohr‘s mother⁸, whose kind hospitality I remember with so much pleasure. The hour of parting with a beloved & honoured parent is always a severe trial, but it is an event in the course of nature, and ardained in God‘s own good time. ”Blessed are the dead, for they die in Lord.“
Margaret is looking forward with great delight to her approaching visit to Germany. For myself, alas! I fear no such pleasure awaits me. My Brother⁹ has recently had some any large Mines placed under his management, in addition to what he had before, and I can see no prospect of escape from my ”Partitur.“
I have not quitted London for a single day, since I had the pleasure of seeing you here. Here, certainly, we understand very little the ”dolce far niente.“
I beg to be most kindly remembered to Madame Spohr and to her Sister, whose Book I am anxiously expecting to see. When will it be published?

Believe me, my dear Friend
always Yours with the truest regard
Edw. Taylor