Advance news of this ‘musikalisch-deklamatorische Academie’ was published by Prager Morgenpost 24/4/1860, reporting the date, venue and time of the event and that it was being given in aid of the ‘Privatvereins zur Unterstützung der Hausarmen Prags [Private Society for the Support of the Prague Poor House]’. The occasion was thought for certain to be assured of a numerous attendance, not only on account of the good cause, but also because participating alongside the Conservatory were to be Mrs Frey, Miss Lucca and Professor Pisařowitz. Admission cards, it was noted, could be purchased from the music shop of Mr Fischer, at the chemist ‘zur goldenen Schlange’ [Lekárna U zlaté hada - at the Golden Snake, an apothecary’s shop that dated back to the mid-seventeenth century], at the Kleinseite [Malá strana] chemist ‘zur goldenen Adler’ [Lekárna U zlatého orla - at the Golden Eagle], or on the day of the concert from the venue box office. Similiar news, but omitting the information about admission cards, also appeared in Der Tagesbote on 24/4/1860.

Information about the event appeared in Bohemia 26/4/1860 two days after the above Prager Morgenpost text. This noted that the annual concert [identifed as a ‘Koncert’ and not a musical-declamatory academy as specified by Morgenpost and Tagesbote] in aid of the Private Society for the Prague Poorhouse would include the participation of the Conservatory and would take place on Sunday [i.e. 29/4/1860] at 12 noon. No venue was specified. The programme of the concert was not specified, and the report inaccurately stated that Kittl’s Jubiläumssymfonie was to be performed, as well as a new Overture by Blodek. Of soloists taking part in the concert the text specifically name only Miss Lucca. The newspaper’s subsequent 30/4/1860 review of the concert reported that the two overtures were performed in place of the symphony.

An unsigned review of this concert was published by Dalibor 1/5/1860. The event, described not as a musical-declamatory academy but simply as a ‘Koncert’ benefitting the Private Society to Support the Poorhouse [ku prospěchu soukromného spolku k podporování podomních chudých]. Given under the direction of Kittl, the concert enjoyed a ‘very propitious success [velmi příznivého výsledku].’ The review text first discussed the two new overtures by Karel and Blodek. The former was considered by the critic to be distinguished by its many interesting points and ‘strokes of genius’, but suffered from a lack of clarity of thought and unspecified ‘uncertainties.’ Nevertheless, Karel, in 1860 a pupil of the Prague Conservatory, still displayed ‘great talent and remarkable knowledge of orchestration.’ Blodek’s Concert Overture received less qualified praise, the correspondent noting that ‘it is meritorious work, well and interestingly planned and worked out. The form is rounded [okrouhlá - lit. circular or round, and perhaps suggesting the work was cyclic], and the orchestration effective and rich.’ Blodek was at this time a private student with Kittl, having graduated from the Conservatory in 1852.

Of the remainder of the concert, the Dalibor critic consistently praised each solo performance. Wien’s playing testified to the ‘excellent method [o výtečně methodě]’ of his teacher Mildner. Pisařovic gave a ‘beautiful and interesting clarinet concerto by Grusell [Crusell] with customary mastery and received prodigious applause. Miss Luccová sang two songs by ‘Lindblat’ [Lindblad, three of the German-language sources reported that the composer’s name had been spelt incorrectly in the programme as ‘Lindbach’] and Schubert with feeling and expression, and we do not doubt that in this sphere she will have a splendid future. Finally, Mrs Freyova very vigorously and expressively performed two declamations by Seidl and Safír [Saphir]. All the participants were rewarded with abundant applause. The orchestra aquitted itself very sturdily.’ Finally, the text noted that present at the concert was the Archduke František Karel [Franz Carl].

The content of the review, signed ‘**’, that was published by Prager Morgenpost 30/4/1860 was very similar to the review published the following day by Dalibor, possibly indicating that the Czech music periodical’s correspondent was the same individual as the one writing for Morgenpost, or that the German text had been lifted by the Dalibor editor, translated, rearranged in the order of its descriptions of the soloists, and slightly condensed. However, the direct incorporation of a translation of the German-language source is perhaps unlikely given that Dalibor was published only one day after the newspaper. Thus, the descriptions of the works and the performances are identical between the Morgenpost and the Dalibor content outlined above (except, of course, in German). Further clarifying details are added: the two declamations and the two songs are identified by title; attending the concert in addition to the Archduke Franz Carl were other, unspecified, nobility.

Substantial reviews of the concert appeared in the other local German-language newspapers. These included Prager Zeitung 1/5/1860, which had not published prior news of the event.

The order of in which the works were performed in this event cannot be ascertained from the various source texts. Certainly Karel’s Overture opened the occasion, and the Tagesbote 30/4/1860 review clearly noted that the concert ended with Blodek’s Concert Overture, which Prager Morgenpost 30/4/1860 reported was directed by the composer himself. The database event record gives the works in the order in which they were covered by the Tagesbote source. This text referred to David’s Concerto as his fifth, probably a mistake given that all other identifying sources specify that it was actually no.4. The two declamations performed by Mrs Frey [Freyová] were Saphir’s Grüße und Complimente and Seidl’s Der Bettelknabe.