There is a Spohrplatz in Braunschweig, a Louis Spohr Hall in the Braunschweig State Theater and the city awards the Louis Spohr Music Prize every three years. But who was the man after whom it was all named?
Louis Spohr was a once very famous violinist, conductor and composer. The musician was born in Braunschweig on April 5, 1784 and died in Kassel on October 22, 1859.
Today mainly known among musicians
If you ask the people of Braunschweig about the name Louis Spohr, most of them don't think of much:"Could that be a politician?" "Louis Spohr? Does that have anything to do with Braunschweig?" "Can't say anything, I've never heard of it. Is that a big knowledge gap?" Yes and no. Today the name Louis Spohr is known almost exclusively to music connoisseurs.
Competition to Mozart and Beethoven
It was very different when he was alive. Louis Spohr was one of the most famous musicians there. He enjoyed fame like Mozart, Beethoven or the devil's violinist Paganini and was extremely versatile as a composer, violin virtuoso and conductor.
After completing his training in Braunschweig, Spohr began his concert tours at the age of 15, which later took him through half of Europe. In his musical performances at the courts, he insisted that the audience should not be distracted from the music by playing cards or dining. In England in particular, Spohr caused a sensation. There they were on the verge of deposing Mozart and Beethoven and letting Spohr rule in their place, according to the "Musical World" newspaper, which was published in London at the time in 1854. Accordingly, no composer was idolized or emulated any more.
Inventor of the baton
Incidentally, Louis Spohr achieved lasting fame with an invention that is now in the hands of all conductors:his baton. Originally, he liked to conduct orchestras with a rolled-up sheet music folder. At a memorable concert in London in 1820, Spohr was one of the first conductors to use a wooden baton. Incidentally, initially to the displeasure of the musicians, who, according to tradition, had felt more "domed" than conducted. Both the musicians and the audience were quickly convinced of the use of the wooden conductor's baton. The baton, one of whose Spohr originals is housed in the Braunschweig State Museum, among others, has become indispensable in modern ensemble practice.