German Classical period composer, violinist, conductor, teacher, and musical inventor and innovator Louis Spohr (1784-1859) once rivaled Beethoven in popularity and towered over many contemporaries also physically with his height of 6 feet, 7 inches. He was a nineteenth century version of a Renaissance man, with interests and abilities in various arts, sciences, and sports. Among his best known works are the opera Jessonda and the oratorio Die letzten Dinge (The Last Judgment). As a conductor, he supported and championed many, including some whose styles were vastly different from his own.