In 1806 Louis Spohr married Dorette Scheidler, an excellent harpist. The two of them often performed together, with Louis on violin. Their marriage led to his developing a thorough understanding of the concert harp. Mozart’s concerto for flute and harp is delightful, but he treats the harp like a naked piano. Many other composers have used the harp mostly to add its shimmering color to the orchestra. Spohr makes free use of scales, chords, and arpeggios, while avoiding clichéd usages of the instrument. Spohr’s works for harp, alone or with a few other parts, are among the most important for the instrument. They include five sonatas for violin and harp, listed in the order of composition which Clive Brown’s biography gives:

• Sonata in C minor, WoO 23
• Sonata in B-flat major, Opus 16
• Sonata in E-flat (D) major, Opus 113
• Sonata in A-flat (G) major, Opus 115
• Sonata concertante in E-flat (D) major, Opus 114

They were all relatively early works, but he kept the last three just for performance with Dorette for years before publishing them, resulting in their high opus numbers.
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