• PŘERHOF, Heřmann: actor / actress / theatre performer

This was the first of five musical and humorous soirées arranged by the Prague actor and impresario Heřman Přerhof during the 1861 Lenten season. The unsigned Národní listy 22/2/1861 review commented that this first soirée constituted a ‘very happy’ beginning to the series. Specific mention was made by the periodical of the singing of Miss Marie Hřímalá, who ‘surprised us with her passionate performance of some songs; her voice is agreeable beyond measure, and speaks to the heart’. The programme was made up of thirteen numbers, nine of which were new, and some of which were declamations, including a recital by Přerhof, in costume, of Hálek’s poem Frajter Kalina.

Prager Morgenpost 23/2/1861 published a review of this event, notably titled as ‘The first humorous Beseda’ arranged by Mr Přerhof. The designation ‘Beseda’ in Czech and bold typface as opposed to the conventional fraktur of the rest of the article emphasized the specifically Czech (as opposed to German) orientation of the occasion. The unspecified critic reported that the event was attended by ‘a very numerous and animated public, who received the offerings [i.e. the works performed] with great applause. The programme, excellently distinguished by a huge variety of pieces in 13 numbers, comprising several lectures [‘Vorlesungen’ - lit. lecture, but in the context meaning a sketch or verbal recital] and declamations, songs and choruses. The lectures of Mr Přerhof, who is not short of a fount of humour and of striking knowledge, really shook the diaphragms of the listeners. A veritable storm of applause followed the performances of songs by Miss M. Hřímalá, several of which had to be encored. Equally marked too was the popular applause for the male-voice choruses and the Quadrille on Czech folksongs. Most pieces were being performed for the first time.’

Přerhof first arranged a series of five weekly ‘humorous’ entertainments, including music, in February and March 1861. According to contemporary periodical reports these productions initially proved to be popular social occasions, with programmes comprising spoken declamations (Přerhof himself was an actor), and often quite substantial items of music. Their success probably encouraged the impresario to arrange a further series of entertainments in June 1861 and November 1861. However, these later productions increasingly concentrated upon light music and dance works, perhaps in an effort to court popularity with the public. Unfortunately, rather than gaining in popularity, entertainments in later years seem to have been less well attended. Přerhof arranged no productions during 1862, a series of only four programmes in March-April 1863, and three programmes in June-July 1864. However, a brief Národní listy 24/3/1861 review of the fifth in a series of these entertainments remarked upon their tendency to attract large audiences.

Previous series of ‘Musical and humorous garlands’ had been arranged by the Prague publisher Emanuel Meliš with the help of the Prague actor and comedian Heřmann Přerhof. On 20th February 1861 Přerhof began his own independent series of events, possibly indicating the Meliš and the actor had had some kind of disagreement. This is suggested too by the fact that none of the events given during February and March 1861 by Přerhof were reviewed by Meliš’s music periodical Dalibor.