• Prague Men's Singing Society [Prager Männergesangsverein]: participating ensemble, vv

Advance news of this event was published by Prager Morgenpost 25/4/1863, which announced in its section of daily local news: ‘Men’s Singing Society [Männergesangverein]. Today at 8pm takes place in the spacious locality of Mr J. Scharý [Schary] on the great Charles’s Square a Garland of the Prague Men’s Singing Society [ein Kränzchen des Prager Männergesangverein], in which 8-9 choruses and various other ensemble- and solo-performance will be heard; the membership cards of founder and contributor members are valid as family cards [Familien-Karten].’ The note about the validity of membership cards related that individuals of the society who held a membership card as founder or contributory member could also admit to the occasion members of their own family. This does not necessarily mean that the event was restricted to Männergesangverein members; the public and patrons of Schary’s inn may well have been admitted on payment of an entrance fee.

A substantial, unsigned, account of this event was published by Prager Morgenpost 29/4/1863. The correspondent related: ‘Prague Men’s Choral Society. Despite the fact that the opera Dinorah was being performed at the theatre at the same time and after a long interval, and in spite of heavy rain, the gathering of the Men’s Choral Society on Saturday enjoyed a strong attendance by lovers of singing, who followed the event in a lively spirit of participation. In addition to the estimable members we noted a healthy presence of ladies and many guests, including the deputies Professor Brinz, von Hasner, Dotzauer, Dr Schrott and others, as well as a number of newcomers who had had the opportunity to hear larger choral societies elsewhere and in comparison to which the Prague society, in what was only an informal gathering for which there had been little preparation, fared in no sense unfavourably.

Of the male-voice choruses performed with precision under the direction of the two conductors Tauwitz and Vogl, only the first two were less effective, probably owing to a less favourable arrangement of the singers. In the later pieces the fine acoustics of the capacious venue, which could accommodate 600 people, showed to advantage. The applause was so great that Zöllner’s „Beim Liebchen“, „Kozácká“ by Procházka, the highly original and difficult „Küferlied“ by Abt, „Vltava“ by Vogl and Mendelssohn’s „Froher Wandersmann“ had to be repeated. The solo numbers found a similarly warm reception and demonstrated the superb forces that the Society has at its disposal. After the renowned Lieder singer Mr Popper most beautifully performed a Serenade by Veit, and repeated it by public demand, we made the acquaintance in Mr Zweigelt of a bass-baritone of rare sonority who earned lively applause for his renditions of the song „Du schöne Maid“ by Fesca and the ballad by R. Schumann, „Die Grenadiere“, with its dramatic Marsellaise ending, that he added as an encore. If this vocally gifted musician, also a highly capable pianist, would apply himself a little more to enunciation and declamation, then we may expect an exquisite chamber singer of him. Vogl’s setting of the Lied by Lessing, „Der Tod und der Mediziner“, came over in drastic manner with characteristic individualisation and humour and had to be repeated. The same honour was bestowed on the singers of a barcarolle duet by Kücken and of a striking quartet for solo voices by Nickerl (also a member of the Society), who, like Professor Vogl, received a curtain call in his capacity as composer. At the end Mr Petak sang, under demand from all sides, a quintet tenor solo with hummed accompaniment with so much feeling and expression that he was forced to repeat it.

On the material front, food and drink better satisfied the demands of the public than they have done on other such occasions; the animated atmosphere continued undiminished until midnight, when the ladies took their leave, while the men’s tables were still occupied; the jovial entertainment lasted, with various humorous songs, into the early morning.’