• Prague Conservatory: participating institution

Tagesbote aus Böhmen 28/2/1854 reported that the Prague Conservatory would give three concerts during the Lent season, on 12th and 26th March in the Konvikt Hall and on 9th April in the Estates Theatre. On 5th April the newspaper reported that ‘Sunday 9th April (Palm Sunday) evening at 7 o’clock takes place the third Concert of the Conservatory in the Royal Estates Theatre.’ The source then listed the concert programme and participants in performance order.

The Czech-language arts periodical Lumír 6/4/1854 published news of this concert. ‘On Palm Sunday [Květná neděle] (9th April) in the evening about 7 o’clock will be the third [annual] concert of the local Conservatory taking place in the Estates Theatre. The programme is as follows: ‘I. Overture to the legend about the fair Melusine [Die schöne Melusine]. II. Divertissement of Hrabě; on the bass perforing will be pupil Jan Vítek. III. Variations of Eisner, on the french horn will be performing pupil Václav Kubr. IV. Aria from Beethoven’s opera „Fidelio“ performing will be pupil Mathilda Lindnerová, accepted into the institute in 1851. V. Concertino for oboe of Könnemann; performing will be pupil František Jansta. VI. First movement from Vieuxtemps’s Concerto in E major; performing will be pupil Karel Herner, only in 1852 accepted into the Conservatory. VII. Second part is filled with the Fifth Symphony (in D minor) by Niels Gade.’ This Czech source gave the names of all participants rendered in Czech style rather than in the German as given by the German-language sources.

Bohemia 8/4/1854 published two separate sections of information about this concert. The daily section of the theatre bill for the Estates Theatre announced: ‘Tomorrow Sunday 9th April 1854, evening 7 o’clock takes place the third Concert of the Conservatory in the Royal Estates Theatre.’ The Theatre was then closed for the Easter period until 17th April. A separate notice also announced the following: ‘Sunday 9th April (Palm Sunday) evening 7 o’clock takes place the third Concert of the Conservatory in the Royal Estates Theatre. The programme is as follows: First Part. 1. Overture to the Legend about the fair Melusine [Die schöne Melusine]. 2. Divertissement for the contrabass by Hrabě, performed by Johann Witek (accepted [into the school] in 1849). 3. Variations on an original theme for the Waldhorn by Eisner, performed by Wenzel Kubr (accepted [into the school] in 1849). 4. Aria from the opera „Fidelio“ by Beethoven, sung by the Opera School pupil Mathilde Lindner (accepted [into the institute] in 1851. 5. Concertino for the oboe by Könneman; performed by Franz Jansta (accepted [into the school] in 1849). 6. First movement from the E-major Concerto by Vieuxtemps, performed by Carl Herner (accepted [into the school] in 1852). Part Two. Symphony (Nr.5 in D minor) with obbligato pianoforte by N.W. Gade (new), (the pianforte part performed by the Opera School pupil Rosine Jarosch.’

Brief comment upon this event was published by Tagesbote aus Böhmen 10/4/1854. The source related that the concert was exceedingly well received and that a report of the event was currently being written. An unsigned review then appeared in Tagesbote aus Böhmen 11/4/1854. Much of this text focussed upon the ‘new’ symphony by Gade. ‘This composition is an unfortunate hybrid between a piano concerto with orchestra and a symphony. The piano part enters as a concertante and proceeds independently, and in that respects impairs the instrumental effects and the development of themes, as the pianoforte’s characteristic sound [is too emphatic and contrasting].’ The final movement was thought to be the most effective; the first movement akin to a ‘Symphonie triomphale’. ‘The impression made by Gade’s symphony upon the listeners was by no means mighty and everyone was annoyed at the interloper, the piano, that has so little claim to line up along side the series of orchestral instruments as does a barrel-organ [Leierkasten]. The performance of the symphony was very accurate. The Overture... by Mendelssohn was played with great fire and gained lively applause. Among the pupils of the Conservatory Mr C. Herner was most striking, he played the first movement from the E major Concerto by Vieuxtemps with clear understanding and brought great honour to his teacher Professor Mildner. From the Opera School pupil Mathilde Lindner [Lindnerová] we heard the E-major aria of Leonore from the opera Fidelio by Beethoven.’

The presence of a female Conservatory Opera School pupil taking the obbligato piano part in the Symphony by Gade was notable in this event, arguably marking the first performance in a concert of a female member of the Conservatory Orchestra. Undoubtedly at the time Miss Jarosch was not considered in any respect to be a member of the orchestra but in effect a soloist (even though the piano was not then taught at the Conservatory). This perhaps partly accounts for the prominent place given to the description of the rôle of the piano in the Symphony by the Tagesbote correspondent.