Potpourri No. 4 in B major, Op. 24, by Louis Spohr, was completed in 1808. The work was one of several compositions that Spohr, a noted violinist, wrote to provide a virtuoso encore when performing more serious chamber works such as Beethoven's Opus 18^[1] string quartets. Written for a virtuoso first violin, with accompanying string trio (violin, viola, cello), like many similar works of this period, was based on themes from popular operas, in this case Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (In Mohrenland gefangen war) and Don Giovanni (Batti, batti).^[1]

Movements

The composition is made up of a single multi-tempo movement, marked Adagio con molto espressione – Andante – Grazioso – Allegro vivace – Allegretto, and an average performance should take around 11 minutes.^[2]

References

Notes

Sources

• Clive Brown & Keith Warsop. Liner Notes to String Quartets (Complete), Vol. 14 – Nos. 31 and 36.
• Potpourri No. 4 (Spohr): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project