• ensemble of Infantry Regiment of Archduke Albrecht: participating ensemble

Mercy’s Anzeiger 4/7/1854 reported that next Saturday on the Žofín Island would be given ‘a great Festival under the title “La Promenade à la Paris”.’ No further details of the event were mentioned by the source. On 6/7/1854 the newspaper published news that ‘The advertised Festival under the title “La Promenade à la Paris” that will take place on Saturday 8th July on the Žofín Island promises to be a very select event.’ Considerable preparations were said to be being made with respect to the music and the lighting of the venue.

Der Tagesbote 4/7/1854 reported that a great festival [großes Fest] with the above title had been organized to take place on 8th July on Žofín Island. No further details of the occasion were noted by this source. Three days later on 7/7/1854 the same newspaper published further details of the event, noting that it would comprise ‘a great Festival, in which the garden will be brilliantly lit and there will be performing the band of the Royal Infantry Regiment of Archduke Albrecht. A great new composition will be performed. Also there will be 500 polkas for the ladies to choose from [possibly meaning sheet music for sale, or a choice of works for ladies to select from and the most popular to be performed on this occasion], from the box-office. The Festival [taking place] will be signalled with a gun two hours before it is due to begin, and should the weather be inclement the event will be given next Monday.’ Similar information was published by Mercy’s Anzeiger 7/7/1854, but in addition listed four compositions that were to be performed at the event, and that admission tickets could be obtained from the art and music shop of Marco Berra. The event was announced in the Vergnügungsanzeiger of Mercy’s Anzeiger 8/7/1854: ‘Today Saturday: On the Žofín Island [a] great Festival “Les Promenades à la Paris’ with the military music ensemble of the Royal Inf. Reg. Archduke Albrecht’.

The event was postponed from 8th July. Der Tagesbote 10/7/1854 and Mercy’s Anzeiger 10/7/1854 both reported that it would be ‘today’, 10th July. The latter source related too that the firing of a gun would signal that the event was about to take place, and reported that ladies attending the event were to be presented with a free copy of a polka in piano arrangement. The Vergnügungsanzeiger of Mercy’s Anzeiger 10/7/1854 listed the event as ‘Today Monday: On the Žofín Island [a] great Festival: “Les Promenades à la Paris”, military music.’