[Op. 58, no. 3]. [Trois Quatuors pour deux Violons, Viola et Violoncelle Composés et Dédiés à Son Ami Guillaume Speyer à Offenbach... Oeuv. 58. No. III. Rthlr. 1.16 gr.]. [Parts]

Leipzig: Bureau de Musique de C.F. Peters [PN 1715], 1823. Folio. Disbound. Violino primo: 3-15, [i] (blank) pp.; 2-13, [i] (blank) pp.; Violino secondo: [1] (blank), 2-9, [i] (blank) pp.; Viola: [1] (blank), 2-10 pp.; Violoncello: 8 pp. Engraved.

Caption title in pencil, "L. Spohr Op: 58 Nro. 3," to upper right corner of first page of Violino primo part. Titling, "Quartett von L. Spohr Op. 58 No. 3," and respective part name in pencil to initial blank pages of other parts. Early owner's signature, "Carl Matys," in pencil to foot of first page of each part. Notational corrections to p. 4 of Violino secondo part. Measure numbers added in pencil (truncated) in a modern hand throughout.

Moderately to heavily foxed; some dampstaining and occasional staining; final blank leaf of Violino primo part laid down to blank verso of preceding leaf, repairing tears; traces of red sealing wax to final page of Violoncello part; lacking title leaf. First Edition of Spohr's 18th quartet, in G major, issue undetermined due to missing title page. Göthel p. 103. WorldCat (3 copies, presumably first issue, in the U.S., at the University of California Santa Barbara, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and the Harvard Musical Association).

Carl Matys (1835-1908), a cellist, played in the royal orchestra of Hanover from 1854 and, from 1878, as principal cellist.

"The largest portion of Spohr's chamber music was for strings alone, ranging from 19 unsurpassed duos for two violins to four masterly, and largely unemulated, double string quartets. These, together with the 36 string quartets (and several other works for the same combination), seven string quintets and the String Sextet of 1848, display a number of common features. Spohr's own mastery of the violin is evident in all of them, and their technical difficulties, together with the particular style of performance necessary to secure their full effect, may partly explain their infrequent performance. The quartets, especially, fall into two distinct categories: solo quartets in the tradition of Rode (often entitled Quatuor brillant), which are essentially violin concertos with string trio accompaniment, and true quartets where the interest is more evenly divided between the instruments." Clive Brown in Grove Music Online. (Inventory #: 25965)