• Estates Theatre orchestra: participating orchestra
• Estates Theatre chorus: participating ensemble, chorus
• ŠKROUP, Jan Nepomuk: accompanist, pf

No advance details of this event were published by Bohemia. The event was not listed in the newspaper’s Tagesanzeiger texts covering 30th April 1851.

A review, signed ‘V.’ was published by Bohemia 2/5/1861. This related that the event was given for the benefit of the choir of the Estates theatre, and had been suggested by Mr Ander with the support of Miss Schwarz [Švarcová] and Mr Draxler. The correspondent considered that despite the event being held at midday and during the working week the occasion was well attended by a ‘numerous and select audience.’ The programme was described as comprising 10 numbers [combining the two Mozart vocal items and the two songs given by Ander], and was divided into two parts. Except for two orchestral works only vocal music was performed. However, ‘the choice of works was so skilfully made that not only friends of classical and new Italian dramatic music enjoyed the concert, but also those of Lied and lyrical song.’

The event’s attraction to the Bohemia critic in large part stemmed from interest in the singers. ‘Mr Draxler, a singer from the court opera in Vienna took part in three numbers. The splendid sound of his powerful bass was as evocative as it had been in his brief part in Rossini’s Tell the previous evening.’ His vocal style was deemed to be ‘well suited in every respect of its physical and intellectual qualities to the unique solo-part of Sarastro. That the performance of A. Müller’s “Tief drunten” was less pleasing was not only due to the standard of the piece itself - which is by no means brilliant and of ordinary quality - but also due to the fact that Draxler’s voice is not suited for this falsely painted sentimentality, which is adopted by most modern Viennese composers. Moreover, this fine singer requires the powerful base of either an orchestra or choir in order to present the fine content of his voice to his advantage, as it was in the case of the two numbers by Mozart. The piano accompaniment of the song does not provide the requisite foundation. In the great duet from the first act of Spohr’s Jessonda the harmonious sound of two such sympathetic and well-educated organs as the ones of Draxler and Ander was of unusual and excellent effect. The latter, who in the short space of his performances here has already become the favourite of the audience, sang the first cavatina with choir from Verdi’s Ernani with orchestra and two songs with piano accompaniment. Of these the second, Das Scheiden by Gustav Hölzel particularly appealed, its success being due too to the excellent performance of the singer. The song had to be repeated and Mr Ander was re-called to the stage.’ Of Therese Schwarz [Švarcová] appearing in the concert, the critic remarked that ‘with her performance of the cavatina ... by Mercadante she proved herself to be an excellent singer, one who is as familiar with the style of the new Italian school as well as with the popular stereotypical wishes of the audience. Following Füch’s Lied with piano accompaniment Schiffers Gruß she received magnificent applause. Although none of these pieces is of special significance, they nevertheless offered Miss Schwarz adequate opportunities to engage her beautiful voice and celebrated technique, and ... [inspired] the wish to hear the singer in an operatic rôle again.’ All of the above songs [but evidently not the opera arias] were noted by the review text to have been accompanied at the piano by J.N. Škroup ‘in his own delicate manner.’

The review then reported that ‘the last piece of the concert was the masterfully designed, beautiful Andante-Finale of Donizetti’s “Die Braut von Lammermoor”, sung by [the six specified soloists] and the complete choir-personnel of the Theatre. The impact of the piece in today’s performance was so great that an encore was demanded - the wish of the audience was readily granted.’ The opera was related to have been performed recently in the Theatre; the newspaper’s critic remarked that he had already therefore commented upon the soloists in that context. However, the effect of this extract was considered to have been greater even though scenery and dramatic action was absent, and part of the reason for this success was adjudged to have been the performance of Miss Rotter. The singer, it was noted, had received criticism for her singing in the rôle in the theatre production, and this was thought to have affected not only herself but the performances of all the other singers there, even though the audience had clearly demonstrated its own tacit approval. The source of the problem was attributed to bad management and policies within the Theatre.

Finally, the Bohemia review related that the ‘well-played’ Overtures to Jessonda and Zauberflöte opened the two parts of the concert, and were each followed by the arias from the respective opera. The performance order of the programme cannot be determined from the Bohemia sources, and is therefore reproduced in the database record in the sequence in which the works were described by the Bohemia review.

Bohemia 2/5/1851 also published in the Lokalzeitung a report praising Ander for his appearances in recent benefit concerts, including this for the Theatre choir.