• Music Institute of Josef Proksch: participating institution

Bohemia 10/4/1851 published details of this event, reporting that the ‘Sixth Soirée musical’ of this institute would take place on 12th April at 6pm, and that the programme would be announced later. The preliminary report of this series of soirées that appeared in Bohemia gave only five dates in the series, and did not include this final event.

The Tagesanzeiger texts of Bohemia 10/4/1851 and 11/4/1851 also listed the date, time and venue of this event.

A review, signed ‘V.’, of this event was published by Bohemia 17/4/1851. This began by drawing attention to the unfortunate circumstance that these Sunday entertainments conflicted with theatre performances and other entertainents, such as the Soirées given by another institute [that of Jiránek] on the same day. However, the events were thought to represent a clear indication of the reputation of Proksch’s school as the leading institute of its type in the city. The prestige of the school was said to have been enhanced too by the contemporary celebrity of his pupil Wilhelmine Claus on the European virtuoso stage, and by the success of his numerous pupils in this event on 12th April.

Works given in the programme were identified in the Bohemia review, and are listed in the database record in order of their coverage by that text. The playing of the ensemble items for multiple pianos was ‘as precise as it was duly nuanced.’ Of the works for solo piano the extract from the sonata by Ambros was ‘played with very warm expression and genuine understanding. Perhaps the effect of this charming fragment was heightened by the restrained tempo.’ The performance by Fischer was ‘very warmly received’, as was Vogl’s singing of the songs by Schubert and Kittl.