Spohr

Spohr, LUDWIG (1784-1859), composer, was born in Brunswick, and studied under Franz Eck. In 1805 he became musical director at the Court of Saxe-Gotha, and in 1813 director of the Vienna theatre, where he produced a number of operas, including his Faust, Jessonda, etc. His reputation slowly travelled outside Austria, and he made several visits to England and France. He was considered the greatest violinist of his time and became recognised as a master when his fine oratorios of The Last Judgment (1826), Calvary (1835), and The Fall of Babylon (1840) were performed.