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SPOHR, Ludwig (Louis)
b Brunswick, 5 April 1784
d Cassel, 22 October 1859, aged seventy-five

While still in his teens he was employed as a violinist at the court of the Duke of Brunswick, who paid for his private tuition; and after a concert tour with his teacher, Eck, from 1802 to 1803, he returned to Brunswick a complete virtuoso. Most of his life was spent touring, playing his own works among others, save for the years 1805 to 1812 when he was appointed to the court of Gotha; 1812 to 1814, when he was musical director of the Theater an der Wien; 1817 to 1819, when he directed the opera at Frankfurt-am-Main; and from 1822 when he became musical director at the court of Cassel.

He wrote eleven operas; incidental music; nine symphonies and other orchestral works; fifteen violin concertos; four clarinet and six other concertos; thirty-six string quartets; much other chamber music and virtuoso solo work sacred and secular choral works, oratorios and cantatas, and songs.