Ludwig, one of the greatest violinists of the German school, and also a distinguished composer, was, according to his own authority, born at Brunswick, on the 5th of April 1784, and not at Seesen in 1783, as has been stated by several writers. His father, a physician, and a skilful amateur flute-player, had the good sense to allow his son every means of cultivating that talent for music manifested in his early boyhood. One writer has asserted that Spohr "showed no early talent for music;" but that seems not only highly improbable, but it is contradicted by the testimony of German and other authors. The violin is an instrument peculiarly requiring a true and delicate musical organization for the attainment of excellence in its handling. Placed under Mancourt, a violinist at the court of the Duke of Brunswick, the boy Spohr made such progress as to be able, when only twelve years old, to play at court a violin concerto of his own composition. At thirteen he was appointed one of the musicians of the duke's chapel. At sixteen he became a pupil of the celebrated violinist, Franz Eck, with whom he visited St Petersburg and Moscow, remaining in Russia for eighteen months. After his return to Brunswick he made a musical tour through Saxony and Prussia, and, with the consent of his patron, the Duke of Brunswick, accepted the office of music-director at the court of Saxe-Gotha. Soon afterwards he married Dorothea Schindler, one of the best harpists in Germany, and went with her to Vienna, where he was appointed music-director of the theatre An der Wien, an office which he held for several years. He composed for that theatre his Faust, his Jessonda, his Zemire und Azor, and some other operatic works, besides writing several stringed-quartets, &c. In 1817 he visited Italy, and was heard with great applause in the chief towns. Returning from Italy he went to Frankfort-on-the-Main, to take the place of music-director of the theatre there. In 1819 he visited Paris, where his violin-playing was but coldly received. He went to London in 1820, by invitation of the Philharmonic Society, and performed some of his compositions at the concerts of that society, where also two symphonies and an overture of his were produced. He was much praised by some of the London critics for his purity of tone and high finish, although others found fault with his want of energy and animation. In 1823 he was appointed chapel-master at the court of Hesse-Cassel, which office he resigned in November 1857. In England three of his oratorios were performed and enthusiastically received, especially his Last Judgment, but their popularity did not endure. Most of his instrumental music has met with the same treatment in Great Britain; although many of his compositions for the violin are still, and must always be, highly esteemed. Spohr was a great master of the violin, and composed much excellent music for his instrument, in his own peculiar style. He is recorded as one of the best quartet-leaders in Europe, as he always endeavoured to render justice to the author's music, making no inopportune display of his own powers of execution. He was the founder of a new German violin-school, and some of his pupils are now the best violinists in Germany. His method of teaching the violin is shown in his Violinschule, a large folio volume, published at Vienna in 1831. It is an excellent work, and should be studied by every aspiring violinist. As a composer of vocal music, Spohr can hold no high place. For voices he writes too instrumentally; and yet it is said of him that his style of violin-playing was really vocal—that "he sang upon his instrument!" Many years ago, and in the height of the furor regarding Spohr's music in England, we had occasion to publish our opinion of his style of composition. While considering him, in some respects as a great artist, we objected to his want of broad and decided melody, and to his perpetual and wearisome use of chromatic intervals in his modulations and harmonies, which gave a character of vagueness and affectation to his compositions. There is a dandyism in musical composition, as well as in bodily dress and bearing. We never thought him a good melodist, nor a solid contrapuntist; and our opinion seems now to be gaining ground in England. Few eminent composers have more widely mistaken the true powers of their art, as well as their own powers, than Spohr. Attempts to express physical or moral phenomena by means of music must, in the nature of things, be always unsuccessful, except in a very limited degree. (See Music, § Imitative Music.) Can any thing more absurd be conceived than an attempt, in music, to describe silence by means of sound? It appears that Spohr was twice married, his first wife, Dorothea Schindler, having died on the 20th of November 1834. At Cassel, he retired from professional life in November 1857. He was indefatigable in composing, notwithstanding his various avocations as a violinist, director, chapel-master, and teacher. A very tall, stalwart, handsome man, his manners appear to have been far from attractive. In society he was discourteous, self-sufficient, and overbearing. He affected to know nothing about the works of great contemporary composers, seeming to consider himself as all in all. If not beloved for modesty and affability, he was through life respected for honest and independent conduct. Dr Ludwig Spohr died at Cassel on the 22d of October 1859. Dr Spohr's chief compositions are—three oratorios, viz., Die Letzten Dinge; Des Heilands letzte Stunden; and Das Jungste Gericht, besides a scenic oratorio, Das befreite Deutschland. A Mass for two choirs and five voices unaccompanied; three Psalms for two choirs of four voices each; Vater Unser, for four voices; Hymn for four choirs, four solo voices, and grand orchestra. Seven dramatic operas—viz., Der Zweikampf der Geliebten; Der Berggeist; Faust; Jessonda; Zemire und Azor; Peter von Albano; Der Alchymist. Songs for four male voices; Scene and air (Italian words), with orchestra; Songs for a voice and piano, seven sets. Six grand Symphonies; four Overtures; Nonetto, for nine stringed and wind instruments; Otetto, for five stringed and three wind instruments; three Double Quartets, for four violins, two altos, and two violoncellos; four stringed Quintets; fourteen sets of stringed Quartets; five sets of violin Duets; two concerted Symphonies for two violins; thirteen violin Concertos; two clarinet Concertos; four Pot-pourris for violin and orchestra; Quintet for piano, flute, clarinet, horn, and bassoon; Sonatas, Ronddeaux, and Fantasies. Spohr's Autobiography is at present (April 1860) passing through the press in Germany.