Louis Spohr was seen in his day as a worthy successor to Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven and completed his Third Symphony whilst at the apex...

Louis Spohr was seen in his day as a worthy successor to Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven and completed his Third Symphony whilst at the apex of his personal and professional life. This is reflected in a forward-looking, confident and compelling work which sublimely balances mood and atmosphere, including a passionate Larghetto and a joyous, life-affirming Finale. In his Sixth Symphony, Spohr drew inspiration for each movement from a different musical era; from the music of Bach and Handel in the first movement through to the finale "The Very Latest Period", a lively and sardonic satire on what Spohr felt to be the superficial and flashy compositional style of the time.