Spohr's symphonies—he completed ten, though he suppressed the last one—have been quite well represented on record, though enthusiasts have needed to be alert to catch them and other of his works as they flit in and out of the catalogue. At the moment, there do not seem to be alternative versions of these two symphonies available, so this record fills a gap, also providing for newcomers, a good introduction to his concert music.
The First was praised by E. T. A. Hoffman, the Fifth by Schumann. That tells us quite a lot. At the time he began his First, Spohr was completely under the spell of Mozart: Hoffman was the first to see the point of that, and to understand that Spohr was seeking to preserve a Mozartian manner into romantic times. He did the same in much of his own music. Spohr is about as advanced as Hoffman here, taking the example of Mozart's most chromatic language and developing it in his own way within the general framework of the classical four-movement symphony. He got carried away in the scherzo, and came to agree with Hoffman's view that it was too long, but could think of nothing else to do except drop the standard repeats. However, the symphony is no Mozart pastiche, and could never be mistaken for an eighteenth-century work. It has much charm, both as a period piece and in its own right.
Schumann's praise for No. 5, a much stronger and more characteristic work, is also understandable: he found it one of the best symphonies of its time, the late 1830s, and in some of its structure and manner it is close to his own world. Spohr's hitherto sunny life had by now fallen under deep shadows, and there is a more reflective, sombre note especially in the Larghetto. Comparisons with Schumann cease to be helpful here. Spohr is less melodically distinguished, less powerful in his sense of atmosphere; but the movement has a lyrical flow, and an elegance of orchestral expression, that set it among one of the finest movements he ever wrote. In other movements, especially the first, he was consciously trying to break new ground, and does so a little self-consciously. As so often with Spohr, one can sense a classical mien behind a certain amount of romantic make-up. It remains a remarkable work, and one which in this careful, sympathetic performance could give much pleasure. The recording is appreciative of Spohr's orchestral subtleties.'