• Cecilia Society: participating institution, vv, orch
• APT, Antonín: director of institute, conductor

Advance news of this concert was published by Prager Morgenpost 22/11/1863 in a report signed ‘–s–’, which noted ‘The first Concert of the Cecelia Society [Cäcilien-Vereins], which takes place on Tuesday 24th November at 4.30pm in the Hall of Žofín Island, presents the following programme: ‘1st Part: Suite for Orchestra (C major) by Johann Sebastian Bach. 2nd Part: Requiem in C minor by Cherubini.’ The Tagesanzeiger daily almanac of Prague social and musical events published by Prager Morgenpost 24/11/1863 announced: ‘First Concert of the Cecilia Society on the Žofín Island.’

A substantial review of this concert was published by Prager Morgenpost 28/11/1863. The correspondent wrote: ‘Concert, 24th Nov. The first Concert this year of the Cecilia Society began in the most highly dignified fashion with the C major Suite of J. Sebastian Bach and then the great Requiem by Cherubini. Two remarkable [‘merkwürdige’ – also translatable as ‘peculiar/odd’] pieces! Bach’s spiritual and temporal [geistliche und weltliche] tone poems, his vocal and instrumental compositions each represent a different world, and inspire through their particular originality. At the same time they provide an inexhaustible spring of unending study for the mind, never losing the combination of energy and genius. Just as the great master in his church compositions allows a depth, a powerfully moving gravity to pervade everywhere; so having said that he is on the other hand of a serene mood. Melancholy and humour are closely related: as humour is the last subjective expression of genius, comedy of romantic poetry: the very last manifestation of all art forms...  All this is found in these Suites bound together in the most beautiful accord, and we can well say that once you get taken by Bach you are siezed and gripped by inescapable bonds. The reason for this all-powerful – I would say magical – attraction, however, is very difficult to deduce, as we always find is the case as concerns such mystical matters [as] music and love. It is possible that one of the main reasons of this unfathomable fascination is his universalism and singularity combined; that he is experienced in all areas of his art, was a creator and patron of all [types of music]; that in every work he is individual, he does not rest until he has revealed all that is hidden within the substance [of a work]. – But the great artist also has his own field that he prefers: Händel the oratorio, Mozart the opera, Beethoven the great instrumental music (symphonies). Bach ultimately the church. One can see how lofty the great man’s compositions are regarded, in that outside that [particular] sphere the author’s genius is undenied. The situation is different with Cherubini, whose Missa pro defunctis can without hesitation be placed safely alongside Mozart’s Requiem: so intrinsically great and monolithic is this remarkable masterpiece. This is even more telling in that during his own time Cherubini exercised no extraordinary influence upon music, and in no sense inhabited his own epoch in the history of art. But in all his compositions breathes the spirit of originality, and this is particularly so in the case of his great Requiem mass in which a very cutting sharpness of thought prevails and each part is imbued with a definite character. Justifiably one may argue that Cherubini was in this respect as characteristic as Beethoven was congenial. Of course, only his nationality precipitated the practical circumstance that he was not concerned with instrumental music, for which he himself was perhaps gifted [as an artist] more so than for vocal composition. Anyway, his talent and knowledge qualified him for that purpose and it is only a cause for regret that he proceeded in that direction only after he became generally known ‘as his own man’. He possesses a mastery of form and was one of only a few who understood how maximise its effect. All his works are rounded without appearing to be calculated [i.e. artificial], and expressive, pithy and seminal [kernhaft]. Not only his operas, but also his ecclesiastical compositions and especially the Requiem in question are the testimony of the glory he leaves to posterity: and this testimony for the purpose of true art can be rarely performed before the public. – If you generally ascribed more talent to Cherubini than genius, more than study than innate creative power, so then you are mistaken: for he himself has provided the most spectacular evidence to the contrary in his immortal Requiem. Although it is true that there prevails a regularity in all of his works, sometimes perhaps a touch of dryness; yet then again one meets with so brilliant touches of inspiration that one is given to believe that to blame for the dryness was merely his pursuit of rounding off [Abrundung – lit. rounding, probably meaning of form] and an incidental, very singular severity of thought. This concentrated, masterful strength is what attracts us so powerfully and is so irresistibly captivating, that we instinctively indulge our thoughts in listening to this music of a grand total impression which is to be found in only a minority of tonepoets. – The performance under the leadership of the Society’s Director Mr Apt was extremely precise. The numerous audience did not fail to cheer. The production took place in the Žofín Island Hall.’