• Music Institute of Josef Jiránek: pupil(s) of institute

Brief details of the annual examinations of pupils of Jiránek’s Music Institute were published by Bohemia 28/7/1850 and Prager Zeitung 29/7/1850. They were to take place over three days on 1st, 2nd and 3rd August at 10am and 3pm daily in the Platteyßsaale [Platýz], and were open to the public. Admission cards were available from the Institute on the second floor of the Platýz building.

The Tagesanzeiger texts of Bohemia 1/8/1850 and 2/8/1850 listed the time and venue of the examinations of pupils of Jiránek’s Institute on Saturday 3rd August.

A general, outline review, signed ‘V.’, of the three events making up these examinations was published in the local news section [Lokalzeitung] of Bohemia 6/8/1850. This reported that detailed aspects of musical tuition at Jiránek’s Institute had ‘already many times’ been given in Bohemia, and therefore the review text would only describe the success of the event. The critic declined to make specific mention of the individual performances on the grounds that all of the participating male and female pupils of the school might be applauded. ‘Both the theoretical and practical parts of the examinations proved that tuition was efficient and thorough.’ The arrangements of [unspecified] works for multiple pianos, arranged in part by the Director [Jiránek] and in part by the teachers, provided pleasure in their performance, as did the solo compositions. However, the critic noted that some salon and concert works by Thalberg, Liszt and Wilmers demanding modern-technical virtuosity [modern-technische Virtuosität] made demands on some of the young pupils that they could not meet. A ‘numerous attending public were as equally generous with loud applause and calls as [they were] in the concerts of well-known virtuosi. Many young pupils excited such enthusiasm that they were twice or thrice [curtain-]called.’ Finally, the correspondent remarked that the numerous audience demonstrated the growing confidence of the public for the Director and his teachers.

The Bohemia review also noted that Michalek [Michálek], a teacher at the institute, had left during the previous year and was now in Westphalia.