• Estates Theatre orchestra: participating orchestra
• JAHN, Vilém: director of ensemble, conductor
• MILDNER, Mořic: leader of orchestra

Vincenc Barták, who died on 25/9/1861, was a violinist in the Estates Theatre orchestra and a Prague teacher of the instrument. The Dalibor review noted that this concert was particularly interesting on account of the participation of the singer Désirée Artôt. Miss Artôt arrived in Prague during September, appearing as a guest singer in the Estates Theatre for the first time on 25/9/1861 in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, and giving her farewell performance on 18/10/1861 at the same venue with a performance of opera extracts and concluding with a Czech song. Detailed reports of her appearances in the theatre, together with enthusiastic commentaries upon her skill as a singer were published by Dalibor 1/10/1861 and Dalibor 10/10/1861. Concerning this specific benefit concert, the unsigned Dalibor 20/10/1861 review referred back to the periodical’s previous reports, and noted that ‘it would be superfluous to add anything else about her perfect schooling, her deep and ardent expression, her masterful performance and about her almost unequalled coloratura.’ Of the other soloists, the review praised the ‘powerful and melodious’ singing of Eduard Bachmann, but strongly criticized the playing of the pianist F. Decker, remarking that ‘it seems that Mr Decker did not comprehend this composition, [to the extent that the] deceased composer hardly would have recognized his own work.’ The programme is reproduced in concert order according to the Národní listy 11/10/1861 report. Národní listy 8/10/1861 erroneously announced that Miss Artôt was to perform ‘some Czech songs’, and that the concert was given to benefit the Czech tenor, Bachmann.

Prager Morgenpost 8/10/1861 reported that Miss Artôt would participate in a benefit concert taking place next Friday 11th October in the Žofín Hall, and that supporting her would be Miss Mik [Miková]. No further details of the event were given in this source. On the following day, 9/10/1861, the newspaper announced that the orchestral personnel of the Estates Theatre under the leadership of Kapellmeister Jahn and the orchestra-director Professor Mildner would give a benefit concert for the family of the late orchestra member Bartak [Barták] in the Žofín Hall. Miss Artôt, the pianist Decker from Vienna and Mr Bachmann were to participate. Prager Morgenpost 11/10/1861 listed the full programme in performance order. A detailed review, signed ‘-a.’, of the concert was published by the newspaper on 12/10/1861.

Prager Zeitung 11/10/1861 in news dated 10/10/1861 reported that to benefit the remaining family of the late orchestra-member Vinzenz Bartak [Barták], tomorrow at 4.30pm in the Žofín Island Hall a great concert would take place in which would participate Miss Artôt and Messrs Decker from Vienna and Bachmann. The newspaper published a brief review, signed ‘!!’, on 13/10/1861. This reported that ‘The members of the Estates Theatre arranged yesterday a concert for the benefit of the remaining family of the orchestra member Vinzenz Bartak, in which Miss Artôt with particular kindness participated. Just this circumstance alone made the concert interesting and successful. The artiste sang with accomplished virtuosity an aria from Mozart’s “Figaro” and embellished flirtatiously with exquisite nuance, Chans [Chant] espagnot, which had to be encored. Mr Bachmann gave the great aria from Marschner’s “Vampyr”, then several songs. Following that Mr Decker from Vienna kindly played the Rondo brillant in E-flat by Mendelssohn... The Overture to Weber’s Euryanthe and the great Overture by Beethoven op.124 (not as on the bill saying op.120) comprised the quite precisely performed orchestral numbers of the concert.’