• Žofín Academy: participating institution, vv
• ZVONAŘ, Josef Leopold: director of institute, conductor

A report of this event was published by Bohemia 30/3/1862 noting that ‘The Žofín Academy arranges on Wednesday at 12 noon in the Žofín Hall a concert, that in musical-historical respects has a very interesting programme. It brings for performance (all numbers being given [in Prague] for the first time): 1. Three sacred songs: Song of the Holy Adalbert [Vojtěch], for mixed-voice chorus (theme from the 10th Century, the harmony from during the last hundred years). Song of the Holy Wenzel [Václav], for mixed-voice chorus (melody from the 14th Century, the harmony from the 17th Century by W. Hollan [Václav Holan], former Kapellmeister at Vyšehrad). Morning song: “Noc temnou přečavše”, performed by the entire choir in unison (from the 16th Century). 2. Patrem, for 3-part chorus from the year 1573, taken from an old song-book found in the Archive of the City of Prague. 3. Canzon Villanesca alla Napolitana: “Chi la gagliarda” by Baldassare Donati, Neapolitan folksong for four-voice mixed chorus from the year 1558. 4. First movement from the Requiem by Francesco Durante (died 1755) for four-voice mixed chorus, two violins, violon and organ. 5. Am Bodensee, two choruses for mixed-voice chorus by R. Schumann, op.59. 6. Die Seligkeiten for baritone solo and mixed-voice chorus with organ accompaniment by F. Liszt, baritone solo performed by Mr Heinr. Gerstenkorn, organ played by the chorus-director Mr Jos. Foerster (new). 7.a) Hymn An den Unendlichen, and b) Gott, der Weltschöpfer, two choruses for mixed voices by Fr. Schubert, op.112.’

The programme is listed in performance order, according to the description given by the Dalibor 20/4/1862 review. However, the two choruses by Schubert, identified by the earlier reports of Národní listy and Dalibor 1/4/1862 as representing the last items of the programme, were not mentioned by the subsequent Dalibor review, suggesting that these compositions may not have been performed on this occasion. The Patrem arranged by Václav Friml was noted by both Dalibor 1/4/62 and Národní listy 30/3/62 as having been found in an old song collection in the Prague city library. Although both the Národní listy reports and the Dalibor review related the inclusion of two choruses from Schumann’s op.59 in this concert, only one of these choruses, Am Bodensee was specifically identified by these periodical articles.

The unsigned Dalibor 20/4/1862 review praised the new director of the Žofín Academy, J.L. Zvonař, for his choice of programme, noting that ‘Although recent directors of the Žofín Academy, namely Fr.A. Vogl and Zikmund Kolešovský, have tried to bring interest and charm to these concerts, we must note that the present director has achieved a balance in his choice of foreign [and native] compositions. Concerning the first three old-Czech works, they display naturalness, refined melody and deep piety, which gushes forth from the honest and devoted heart. We agree totally with the critic of Bohemia, who... writes [of these compositions] „We stand here before a monument of Czech art in which comes together in the clearest light our dear homeland as the holy seat of a thousand years of culture.“’ The critic asserted that ‘All the works commendably performed were under the skilful conducting of Mr Zvonař.’

The solo vocalist in the work by Liszt changed prior to the concert, the Dalibor 1/4/1862 report stating that the solo vocalist in this performance was Bedřich Gerstenkorn but Národní listy 2/4/62 related that the baritone soloist was to be J. Rafael. This was confirmed by the subsequent reviews published by Bohemia 4/4/1862 and Prager Zeitung 5/4/1862. The organist in this concert was Josef Jan Foerster.