The Dalibor 20/2/1861 review, signed ‘-l-’, criticized the arrangement and aspects of the programme of this concert, noting that ‘On 17th February in the Žofín hall, the concert of Mr Illner took place, at which as usual, some participants did not appear. We missed Miss Miková and Messrs Bachmann, Benevic, Böhm and Markvordt. About the German compositions, which the audience received here in plenty, we will not expound, but we will point out so much, that the Saxon chamber virtuoso on the ’cello, Schlick, did not gain abundant glory, and that Miss Luccová repeated the hackneyed Kücken song “Der Himmel hat eine Thräne geweint.” The interesting numbers for us were the [Czech] national songs, which were performed by the talented and well-known Miss [Věkoslava] Alojsie Blažková. The audience welcomed Miss Blažková very warmly, and between songs honoured her with loud applause. And really Miss Blažková deserved it, for her performance was so tender [and] so inspired with national feeling, like that we hear from our excellent [singer J.L.] Lukes. Miss Blažková was curtain-called loudly four times, after which she gave the folksong Já mám holubinku.’

Národní listy 21/2/1861 also reported upon the performance of Miss Blažková in this concert, commenting that she sang folksongs ‘with so ardent feeling and with such understanding as we hear only seldom from our most excellent singers of national songs.’ The report related that Miss Blažková was now a pupil of František Pivoda with whom she would learn ‘clear and beautiful vocalisation’, a technique which ‘she was unable to learn [as a student] in our Conservatory.’ The latter part of this statement provides a further example of the hostility that was felt among nationalist Czech circles in the early 1860s and expressed by Czech periodicals of the time against Gordigiani, the Conservatory’s then incumbent Professor of singing.

A review, signed ‘-a.’, was also published by Prager Morgenpost 21/2/1861. This reported that the concert opened with a vocal quartet ‘in which Mr Nachbauer took the place of the advertised Mr Bachmann as first tenor.’ The performance of this was noted to have suffered from poor ensemble, the parts not being sung together. ‘Mr Schlik, Royal Saxon chamber musician, gave two difficult pieces... on the violoncello; but despite his remarkable  technique and maturity of performance, the listeners did not warm to him. The strings of his instrument were also sometimes out of tune. Another visitor new to us, Miss Seraphine von Osten from Vienna, declaimed a poem by Saphir:“Des Kindes Zuversicht” with requisite expression, and was curtain-called. The most vociferous applause received Miss Blažek [Blažková], who with her supple, sonorous voice sang Czech folksongs... The natural, hearty, well-nuanced performance gained... [her] three vociferous curtain-calls, whereupon she performed “Já mám holubinku” to really magnificent approval. Mr Appé also sang two Lieder in an artistic manner, and regaled himself with vigorous applause’. As a result of so many artists not appearing in the event, specifically Messrs Bachmann, Beenewitz, Markwordt and Miss Mick [Miková], the programme included a long pause before Miss Lucca [Luccová] sang ‘the often heard in Prague’ song by Kücken with clarinet accompaniment given by Pisarzowitz [Pisařovic]. her performance was ‘as expected, excellent.’

The arranger of this concert, Hynek Illner, impresario and member of the Estates Theatre opera, suffered increasingly from mental illness during 1861, and shot himself on Štvanice island in Prague on 2/11/1861.