pelted by the enraged mob, for the English people were then in mourning
for the death of George III, which had recently occurred, and Spohr's
gay attire was construed as a public insult. He played several of his
own works at the opening Philharmonic concert, and the brilliant veteran
of the violin, Viotti, to become whose pupil had once been Spohr's
darling but ungratified dream, expressed the greatest admiration of the
German virtuoso's magnificent playing. The "Autobiography" relates an
amusing interview of Spohr with the head of the Rothschild's banking
establishment, to whom he had brought a letter of introduction from the
Frankfort Rothschild, as well as a letter of credit. "After Rothschild
had taken both letters from me and glanced hastily over them, he said
to me, in a subdued tone of voice, 'I have just read (pointing to
the "Times") that you manage your business very efficiently; but I
understand nothing of music. This is my music (slapping his purse); they
understand that on the exchange.' Upon which with a nod of the head he
terminated the audience. But just as I had reached the door he called
after me, 'You can come out and dine with me at my country house.' A few
days afterward Mme. Rothschild also invited me to dinner, but I did not
go, though she repeated the invitation."

While in London on this visit Spohr composed his B flat Symphony,
which was given by the Philharmonic Society under the direction of the
composer himself, and, as he tells us in his "Autobiography," it was
played better than he ever heard it afterward. His English reception, on
the whole, was a very cordial one, and he secured a very high place
in public estimation, both as a violinist and orchestral composer. On
returning to Germany, Spohr gave a series of concerts, during which time
he produced his great D minor violin concerto, making a great sensation
with it. He had not yet visited Paris in a professional way, and in the
winter of 1821 he turned his steps thitherward, in answer to a pressing
invitation from the musicians of that great capital. On January 20th he
made his _debut_ before a French audience, and gave a programme mostly
of his own compositions. Spohr asserts that the satisfaction of the
audience was enthusiastically expressed, but the fact that he did not
repeat the entertainment would suggest a suspicion that the impression
he made was not fully to his liking. It may be he did not dare take
the risk in a city so full