• unspecified Salon Orchestra of Karel Komzák: participating orchestra
• Flöte: participating institution, vv

News of the impending move of the Deutsche Casino to a new locality had appeared in several issues of Prager Morgenpost during August and September 1863. The date of the official opening of the new venue had been announced by Prager Morgenpost 22/9/1863 as 3rd October. On 4/10/1863 the newspaper published an extended account of the festival opening on the previous evening. This is reproduced in full in the database entry for the Deutsche Casino venue. Of the musical content of the occasion, this account related: ‘At yesterday’s Evening the ten large salons had a particularly festive complexion, the splendid gilt gas-chandeliers strewing a sea of brilliance. The Reading Room is particularly comfortably equipped. It is very tempting, to settle back in the soft velvet armchairs and immerse oneself in reading the abundant choice of newspapers that are available. Only when the sound of the felicitous musical ensemble under Komsak’s [Komzák] personal direction swept over them and when the valliant singing society „Flöte“ performed one of its uplifting and poignant Lieder, were these the Gazetteophiles drawn out of their Buon reitro to join with enthusiastic voice in the applause.’

The presence of Komzák’s salon orchestra alongside the Prague German singing society Flöte provides some clue as to how the former was reviewed at the very least as a cosmopolitan ensemble in Prague musical life and society, and neither an exclusively Czech- or German-orientated body. The Deutsche Casino was itself, as its name suggests, patriotically German-focussed. This was evident in part of the speech to open the venue that was given by one of its committee member Dr Schmeykal. An excerpt from the sppech was reproduced in Prager Morgenpost 4/10/1863: ‘The German mind does not aspire to wanton infringement of the rights of the other nationalities of our common Fatherland. But while this is true we are unbending in our resolution to uphold at least the equally valid right of our homeland, the sacred title to which is founded in our history, our birthright and in our work, to preserve this for future generations and to not permit its reduction by even the width of a hair.’

The speech was followed, according to the Prager Morgenpost 4/10/1863 report, with a unanimous, joyous and spirited three cheers of ‘hail’ by the assembly to the Emperor. The rejoicing continued as the stalwart singers of „Flöte, a great many of whom were attired in gymnast dress [Turnertracht], black-red-gold emblems [i.e. the German colours] emblazoned on their gowns, began to sing the national anthem.’ Upon stormy calls for its encore, this was repeated.

A subsequent account of this performance of Flöte in this event was published by Prager Morgenpost 5/10/1863. The correspondent reported: ‘At the opening of the new venue of the German Casino on the evening of the day before last, the performance of the valiant German singing society „Flöte“  was met with stormy applause.  „Flöte“Particular enthusiasm accompanied the performance of Arndt’s Lied „die Wacht am Rhein“, the „Oesterreicher Lied“,  „an die deutsche Tricolore“ in which patriotic songs the excitedly celebrating crowd joined in one voice. Several telegrammes from German societies in Bohemia, from the German singing society in Eger [Cheb] were read, and were answered by the Directorate in the name of the members of the Casino.’  „Flöte“