• LAUB, Ferdinand: soloist, vl
• JAELL, Alfred: soloist, pf

Prager Morgenpost 19/12/1862 published advance news of this event, relating: ‘Concert. Messrs Laub and Jael will be arranging a concert on 28th December in the Hall of Žofín Island, to which Mr Jaell brings a concert grand [piano] by Erord [Erard] from Paris. Unfortunately, these two artists intend to give only one concert, their being unable to remain here for any longer.’ Full details of the concert, including the date, time, venue and programme in performance order, were published by this newspaper on 27/12/1862. The Saltarello was noted as a ‘manuscript’ work.

Bohemia 28/12/1862 reported this concert, noting: ‘(Today’s noon concert of Messrs Ferd. Laub and Alf. Jaell) will be opened with the A major Sonata dedicated to Kreutzer by Beethoven (performed by both concert-givers), following which the two artists will alternate in their performances. Laub plays Vieuxtemps’s „Rêvérie“, a Phantasie [Fantasie] on Hungarian themes by Ernst, Präludium by J.S. Bach and a Polonaise, Slavonic ballade and Salterello of his own composition. The pianist Jaell: Gavotte of J.S. Bach, Waltz of Chopin and two pieces of his own composition.’ The concert was also listed in the newspaper’s Tagesprogramm almanac of daily events.

Národní listy 29/12/1862 published a relatively brief unsigned account of this event, reporting that ‘Yesterday’s „Laub“ concert, amassed in the Žofín Island Hall a very splendid and numerous audience. The programme, as is known, consisted mainly of classical, virtuoso pieces and self-evidently performed with exemplary excellence. In Mr A. Jaell we were acquainted with a very capable pianist, whose playing is characterised by exceptional, fluent, graceful execution. Even poets have sung about the magnificent, magical playing on the violin of Mr Laub and therefore it is not necessary to expend any more words of praise. We note only that both artists bestowed enchantment upon the audience and were honoured with unending applause and curtain-calls.’

Lumír 1/1/1863 published a review, signed ‘a—a’, of this event, relating: ‘Concert of Laub and Jaell. Wonderful concert of these two prestigious artists, our countryman Ferdinand Laub and Alfred Jaell, Hanoverian [Court] chamber pianist, on 28th December filled the Žofín Hall with a numerous audience. Even with entertainments of purely artistic, higher aesthetic value - which it is possible hardly to note among the multitude of concerts that are arranged to benefit good causes – such programmes are filled with various heavy and unartistic numbers. The programme put together for this concert evidently showed that both these concert-givers care nothing for spectacular, bravura playing, but more for clear, expressive performance. They performed various classical compositions of renowned masters: Beethoven, Bach, Kreutzer and Chopin, so perfectly, expressively and precisely that the composer himself perhaps did not interpret [the work] with such deep spirit in the process of composing. Besides these we also heard compositions by F. Laub and A. Jaell, which in the effective elaboration greatly entertained the public. It would be superfluous of us to discuss the playing of Laub when his name is mentioned. We will note so much – that this time he played so beautifully and performed so expressively, that after each number the ecstatic public was roused to vociferous applause. Also a true artist is A. Jaell. His technique inspires amazement, his accuracy in runs [scales], strength in touch, subtlety and refinement, as well as emotive performance and exquisite trills establishes him in the honourable front rank among the foremost pianists of his age. – Both artists were stormily curtain-called many times by the happy audience.’ On the same page in this issue of Lumír 1/1/1863 it was also reported: ‘Ferdinand Laub and Alfred Jäell [spelt with an umlaut on the a] are arranging by popular request one further concert on 4th January in Žofín Hall.’

Dalibor 1/1/1863 published a substantial review, signed ‘-r-’, of his event. The correspondent reported: ‘Koncert of Ferd. Laub and Alfred Jaell. On Sunday 28th December our celebrated countryman F. Laub and Hanovarian Court pianist A Jaell arranged a concert in the Hall on Žofín Island, which without doubt offered us the most excellent spiritual treat. It was applauded with genuine, heartfelt rapture and the curtain-calls for both artists did not want to end. I believe it would be superfluous, to report Laub’s masterful playing, for who has not heard of Laub’s magic strings on which he performs true wonders. Already we have often characterised the splendid playing of Laub in our pages, and now it remains to us nothing else than to give a brief mention about his performance. Laub performed together with Mr Jaell the Sonata for piano and violin (dedicated to Kreutzer) by Beethoven, Rêvérie by Vieuxtemps, Fantasie by Ernst, Prelude by Seb. Bach and his own compositions Polonéz, Slovanská balada and Saltarello. His accuracy and flawlessness in the most difficult and most sophisticated passages is I believe stunning. He conveys this accuracy to the listener in a natural manner, and in this lies the cause of the intrinsic delight which we hear in the masterful playing of Laub. Laub excells above all virtuosi, who up to now we have heard, with his great range of tone; his playing has its own power, bearing and grandeur. With these Laub performs compositions abounding in the greatest [technical] difficulties with such facility that we cannot even guess the vastness over which Laub standsas emperor of the strings. Laub was curtain-called many times after each piece and regaled with thunderous applause. His compositions are skilfully contrived and they excell with noble themes and effective bravura passages. As concerns Alfred Jaell we found in him the perfect „salon virtuoso“. His silky and lyrical touch, his clear technical ability, his elegant execution as well as his performance of pearl-like trills, these are virtues testified to in this concert. He performed on the piano a Gavotte by Š. [J.S.] Bach, Waltz by Chopin, then his own compositions: transcription from „Tannhäuser“ and „Chant du matin“ and „Home sweet home“ for piano. Mr Jaell plays his own compositions beautifully, his pianissimo seems like an aeolian harp and the nuances from shade to light with which his compositions comprise are magnificent; however, the originality of his works does not rise above the ordinary... Mr Jaell was vociferously called after each number and to finish with Liszt’s Transcription from Tannhäuser. The performance of the Beethoven Sonata by both artists was in all respects perfect.’

Dalibor 10/1/1863 reported that Laub and Jaell had given free entry to this concert (and that of 4/1/1862=3) to members of the violin school of the Prague Conservatory. It reported too that the ‘Violins, on which Mr Ferd. Laub played in both of his concerts, have their own historical interest, in that they are the very same ones on which N. Paganini gave concerts. They are genuine Stradivari and cost 7000 francs in gold.’ Finally the news was announced that ‘Messrs F. Laub and Jaell are arranging, as we have learnt, on general request another concert with accompanying orchestra and in particular, in that the surroundings of the Žofín Hall being unsuited to a very large audience, in the Czech Provisional Theatre.’

The order of the programme is reproduced from the Prager Morgenpost 27/12/1862 report, except for the Liszt transcription that was added as an encore by Jaell.