Most of Spohr’s best works date from before 1840, but he hadn’t completely written himself out after that. The Septet in A minor, composed in 1853, is worth having in a collection of his music. It’s still clearly his work, but it has a different feeling from his earlier Quintet, Octet, and Nonet. It’s denser in its instrumentation and more contemplative. I’d say there’s a hint of Brahms in it, except that in 1853 Brahms was little-known, and almost all of his compositions were ahead of him. All the instruments — flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, cello, and piano — are equal partners in this work. Spohr clearly expected he’d have good musicians to perform this piece; the piano part is as hard as some concertos, but with fewer opportunities for bows.

The first movement starts with an introspective theme in the violin’s lower range. The winds comment on it while the piano provides sixteenth-note figures. This leads to a section featuring a triplet figure that’s actually the opening notes in a faster, snappier form. The second theme, in C, provides a cheerful contrast. In the development, bits of the first theme jump from one key to another. The recapitulation follows traditional sonata form, with the key signature changing to A major for the second theme and coda. The ending reminds us this is still Spohr, with a bit of chromaticism leading to a quiet ending.

The second movement is the highlight of the work. It’s called a “Pastorale,” but don’t let the way it starts trick you into expecting just idyllic country tunes. The horn opens with a delightful, simple melody, but the other instruments respond with accents of pain. The flute and clarinet play a calming duet, and the horn recalls the opening tune. All seems well for the moment. In the next section, though, the violin introduces an agitated, almost operatic theme, which the others take up. The calming passage answers it, but it’s infected with the new sense of distress. Real calm comes only when the horn brings back the first theme. The coda is based on the agitated theme, bringing the movement to an uneasy conclusion.

Next is a very Spohrian scherzo in A minor, with a figure based on a Scotch snap appearing everywhere. The first of the two trios is a solo for clarinet that makes me think of the clarinet music Brahms would write much later. The second trio is a sort of waltz. The horn has the leading role, and the piano plays a tricky accompaniment of nonstop triplets.

The opening of the finale sets a grim tone, and there’s quite a bit of struggle through most of the movement. The second theme is a march, a refusal to give in to gloom. In the development, fragments of the first theme seem lost in a storm of counterpoint, trying to find their way back. The march’s return in due course brings the music into A major, and it stays there. In the coda, even the first theme is in the major key. Spohr throws in his trademark chromaticism toward the end, and there are a couple of moments of doubt, but the Septet finally comes to a jubilant ending.

Here’s a recording of the Septet on YouTube, with a score to follow along.

This article is 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.)