• WEISSOVÁ, Alfonsina, Baroness: soloist, pf

Národní listy 7/12/1862 published advance news of this event, noting: ‘Concert. Mrs Baroness A. Weissová arranges on Sunday 14th December a second concert in the Konvikt [Hall].’ On 7/12/1862 Prague Zeitung also reported upon her forthcoming concert, relating that ‘Baroness Alfonsine Weiß gives on Sunday 14th December at 12noon - this time in the Konvikt Hall - her second concert.’ Prager Zeitung 13/12/1862 reported in its columns of daily Prague news dated 12th December ‘In the second of the concerts of Baroness Alfonsine Weiß on Sunday at noon in the Konvikt Hall, there will also be participating Misses Brenner [Brennerová] and Gebhardt [Gebhardtová] and Messrs Nachbauer, Pisařowitz and Slanjský [Slanský].’

Prager Morgenpost 9/12/1862 reported: ‘Concert. 14th December Baroness Alphonsine Weiß arranges a second concert and namely in the Konvikt Hall.’ On 13/12/1862 the newspaper related: ‘Concert. Tomorrow Sunday at 12noon takes place in the Konvikt Hall the 2nd Concert of the Baroness Alphonsine Weiß.’ Prager Morgenpost did not review this concert.

The most detailed pre-concert report was published by Bohemia 13/12/1862. This related: ‘(In the Concert of Baroness Weiß), which takes place at noon Saturday, the sung part will be opened by Mr Nachbauer with Schumann’s Lied „Ich grolle nicht“ and as a further number will sing a Lied by Abt, „Gute nacht“. Miss Brenner, accompanied by Mr Pisařowitz on the clarinet and Mr Slansky at the piano, will perform Kücken’s Lied „Der Himmel hat eine Thräne geweint“. Miss Gebhardt will declaim Heine’s „Wallfahrt nach Kevlaar“. Baroness Weiß will perform Variations by Chopin, Thalberg’s Fantasie „Der Hugenotten“ and Valse Caprice after Schubert by Liszt.’ The Tagesprogramm of this issue of Bohemia incorrectly noted that at 12 noon on that day (13/12/1862) Weiss would be giving a concert in the Konvikt Hall. The Tagesprogramm of the following day in Bohemia 14/12/1862 noted this information again.

Prager Zeitung 17/12/1862 published a substantial review, signed ‘!!’, of this concert: ‘The pianist Baroness Alphonsine von Weiß gave her second concert in the Konvikt Hall. In the same manner as in her previously reviewed first concert, she played the Variations on a German Song [Variationen über ein deutsches Lied] by Chopin, Thalberg’s Fantasie on a theme from the Huguenotten  [Les Huguenots] (in F-sharp [presumably op.20 and not the Duo concertante op.43, actually in E-flat major]), then Liszt’s Valse caprice on Schubert’s themes. Chopin’s Variations are not characterised by the individual creative style of the wistful Sarmatiam: they are just variations worked after a template, as was the fashion of the previous age, with an emphasis only upon the strength of technical difficulties so that in terms of the artistic development of piano playing they are perilously light. Thalberg’s [Fantasie on] Huguenotten, as with Liszt’s Valse caprice, from the standpoint of surmounting [their difficulties] are not advisable [pieces] for the lyrically tender constitution of ladies. Therefore there was no number of the chosen programme in which the concert-giver could have the opportunity to shine. Thalberg’s Fantasie had to be edited, the rapid octave runs played in ritardando, the bold tenths rendered in humble thirds. In favour of the genial pianist it must be said that all of the pieces were played by heart. In addition, Miss Brenner [Brennerová] sang with her usual mastery Kücken’s Lied „Der Himmel hat eine Thräne geweint“, in which Prof. Pisařowitz performed the concertante clarinet part, then Mr Nachbauer [performed] Schumann’s „Ich grolle nicht“ and Abt’s frequently heard „Gute Nacht“. Always very pleasurable in appearance is the delightful actress Miss Gebhardt. With her sonorous voice, which becomes more pleasant day-by-day, she declaimed Heine’s „Wallfahrt nach Kevlaar“, in which every moment of this deeply elegaic poem was performed with the most pertinent expression. - Despite the concessions made to the German public by the choice of a programme with exclusively German works, the audience was not so numerous as we justifiably expected to repay the embarrassement of the concert-giver as well as the greater part of the other participants involuntarily stricken by the language-dispute at the opera. The applause was very intensive. The concert-giver was, as the other participants, rewarded with applause both upon their appearance and during the pieces they performed.’ The description of the work by Thalberg with its reference to difficult sections in tenths suggests the piece was the Fantasie op.20 in E-flat major with its difficult rapid repeated semiquaver section in tenths midway through the piece[L’istesso tempo, 12/8].     

A brief Národní listy 16/12/1862 review, signed ‘ilz.’ remarked that the playing of Baroness Weissová was ‘solid, clean, [and] refined’, but noted that to remark upon the interpretative feeling of the pianist was not possible because the works she chose to play were ‘more bravura and virtuoso’ than of particularly expressive character. Weissová was ‘happily supported’ by a number of local artists in songs and declamations. The audience was not numerous, at least not as numerous as in the first concert she gave in the Czech Provisional Theatre. Weissová was greeted with applause upon her appearance, and was said to have recieved fitting approbation for her performances. The other participants were also noted to have been well applauded. No further details of the concert were given by this source.

A more detailed Dalibor 20/12/1862 review, also unsigned, commented upon this concert and upon that given by Weissová a week earlier in the Provisional Thetre. The correspondent related that the concerts were testimony to her being ‘an adroit virtuoso on the piano. In the last concert she performed variations by Chopin, then the Fantasie from „Huguenottů [Les Huguenots]“ of Thalberg and Valse caprice by Liszt. Her touch is very elastic, her technical ability is developed to a high degree and her realisation of the compositions was individual; she particularly excels in a whispering pianissimo. Her graceful playing gained deserved approbation in both concerts. In the last concert Miss Brennerová and Mr Nachbauer participated with German songs, with declamations Miss Gebhardová.’ No details of the audience attendance were revealed by this review; Národní listy 16/12/1862 had related that the numbers were less than at her previous concert given in the Provisional Theatre on 1/12/1862.

The contrast between the Czech- and German-language periodicals in their report of the playing of Weissová was notable, the Czech sources making no mention of her having to adapt the pieces she was playing to accommodate her technique and physical stature, while Prager Zeitung drew attention to this. The performance order of the works cannot be ascertained from the specified sources except the mention by Bohemia 13/5/1862 of Nachbauer opening the concert. The database event record lists the items performed by Nachbauer followed be the piano works and the further song. The pianist Slanský was almost certainly Ludevít Slanský.