Louis Spohr, like Beethoven, wrote nine symphonies. (Actually, he wrote a tenth but was dissatisfied with it and withdrew it; it’s heard occasionally.) As with Beethoven, his Fifth is a stormy work in C minor. It’s my favorite of his symphonies.

Is this symphony really in C minor? The first movement begins and ends in C major, and the symphony ends in that key. The slow introduction presents a lyrical theme that doesn’t suggest any storms at first. This is what I’ll call the “peace” theme, conveying a message of calm against a sea of troubles. In the seventeenth measure, staccato triplets intrude, the mode becomes minor, and the tempo accelerates. At the start of the Allegro, the key signature becomes C minor, and the conflict is fully underway. The first theme is full of tension; the second is in E-flat major but is very hesitant.
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This is the second in what I can now call a series of blog posts on works by Louis Spohr.

Die letzten Dinge (The Last Judgment) deals with a big topic, but it’s a small-scale oratorio. It takes a little over an hour to perform, and it isn’t very difficult. Choral societies might find it a good addition to their repertoire. There are no solo numbers or fancy vocal passages; what’s needed is four vocalists who can blend well with each other and the chorus. The text is based on the Book of Revelation, so we’re in for a wild ride. The work is oriented more toward drama than deep religious feeling.

The work is listed as WoO 61, even though it was published during his lifetime. It was a huge success at its first performance in 1826 and later in England.
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Louis Spohr is among my favorite obscure composers, and I wish I could make his music better known. One way to do this might be to write analyses of some of his works. It’s possible that someday a musical organization will look for information on a Spohr piece and come across my posts. In case it happens, I’ll make this article available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. That says you can use it however you want — for instance, in program notes — provided you give me credit by name and aren’t making money off it. (If you are making money, that’s fine, but I expect a cut. Talk to me. Handouts in a concert run by a non-profit organization are non-commercial for this purpose, even if admission is charged.)

I’m no musicologist, just a music lover. Take this article accordingly.
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