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Event title:
Second concert given by violinist Ferdinand Laub and pianist Alfred Jaell
Venue: Žofín Island (Žofín Hall)
Event type: Art music culture
Date: 04/01/1863 12noon
Programme unspecified: :
General participants:
- LAUB, Ferdinand: soloist, vl
- JAELL, Alfred: soloist, pf
Commentary:
Národní listy 3/1/1863 reported that the: ‘Second and last concert of Mr Alfr. Jaell and Ferd. Laub will take place, as we have already noted, tomorrow (on Sunday) at 12noon in Žofín Hall. Programme is as follows: 1. Sonata (A minor) by Robert Schumann perf. A. Jaell and F. Laub. 2. Chaconne by J.S. Bach perf. F. Laub. 3.a) Variations by Händel b) Valčík [Waltz] (C-sharp minor) by Chopin, c) Home sweet home (vlasti, drahá vlasti) by Jaell, on request, perf. A. Jaell. 4.a) Suleika by Mendelssohn, b) Srdce ztracené [Lost heart] by Pivoda, performed by Mrs Bělská. 5. Concerto for violin by Mendelssohn, perf. F. Laub. 6. a) Concert-étude by Liszt, b) Caprice on „Dinorah“ by Jaell, performed A. Jaell. 7. a) Elegie by Ernst, b) Polonéz (on request) by Laub, perf. F. Laub. Out of particular courtesy to the concert-givers Mrs Bělská promised her participation. Admission tickets to the circle for 2zl., into the hall for 1zl., in the gallery for 50kr., it is possible to obtain from the music shop of Ad. Christoph and W. Kuhé and on the day from the box office.’ An advertisement was also published by this issue of the newspaper announcing:
‘Tomorrow on Sunday 4th January 1863
second and last
C O N C E R T
FERD. LAUB and ALF. JAEL
at 12 noon in Hall
on Žofín.
Admission tickets it is possible to obtain in the music shop
Ad. Christof and V. Kuhé,
in the evening at the box office.’
second and last
C O N C E R T
FERD. LAUB and ALF. JAEL
at 12 noon in Hall
on Žofín.
Admission tickets it is possible to obtain in the music shop
Ad. Christof and V. Kuhé,
in the evening at the box office.’
The programme is reproduced in the database event record in projected performance order according to the Národní listy 3/1/1863 source.
The Czech-language arts, literature and music periodical Lumír reported in its issue dated 1/1/1863 that ‘Ferdinand Laub and Alfred Jäell are arranging on popular request one further concert, namely on 4th January in Žofín Hall.’ A brief notice of the success of this concert appeared in Lumír 8/1/1863, relating that the: ‘Second and last concert of Laub and Jäell on 4th January in Žofín Hall was just as splendid as the first concert of those gentlemen, only the attendance was more numerous.’ A week later on 15/1/1863 the periodical reported that Laub and Jaell [Jäell] were arranging one more concert with accompanying orchestra in the the Czech Provisional Theatre. This theatre concert did not take place. The issue also related that the ‘Violins of Laub are historic; they are the violins on which the celebrated Paganini gave concerts, genuine Straduarky [Stradivari] and costing 7,000 franks in gold.’
Prager Morgenpost 6/1/1863 published a brief review, signed ‘-ý.’ of this concert. The correspondent reported: ‘Concert. On Sunday in the Žofín Island Hall, before an extraordinarily numerous audience, Messrs Ferdinand Laub and Alfred Jaell gave their second and last Concert, which opened with a Sonata in A minor by Schumann (for piano and violin). With regard to the other items of the programme, I must limit myself to a historical note: they were each chosen meticulously and through the arrangement in chronological order were just as interesting as they were suited to the purpose. Each individual piece was performed throughout with such inspiration, with such a spirited tension that inevitably it occasioned the most beautiful success with the audience empathising with not a low degree of enthusiasm. That the rare skill of the aforesaid artists, pairing elegance and taste in execution, drew enthusiastic applause, speaks for itself. Miss Bělská sang in addition Mendelssohn’s „Suleika“, then a song (Srdce ztracené [Lost Heart]) of Piwoda [Pivoda], and was rewarded with being recalled [before the audience] twice.’
A review, signed ‘M.’, of this event was also published by the German-language newspaper Politik 6/1/1863. The critic reported: ‘Concert by Messrs Alf. Jaëll and Ferdinand Laub. The second and last concert that Messrs Alfred Jaëll and Ferdinand Laub gave two days ago in the Hall of the Žofín Island exceeded, if that were possible, their first in the richness of its artistic pleasures. The two gentlemen first played together Schumann’s spirited A-minor Sonata; the masterfulness of their interpretation made a choice difficult between the three movements of this remarkable work, in that it was incomparably beautifully rendered overall. The same was the case for the Violin Concerto in E [minor] by Mendelssohn, in whose magical performance, both in the rapidity and bravura of the passages and in the soulful lyricism of the moving cantilenas, Laub revealed the greater virtuosity while Jaëll, through his wholly fitting and ample piano accompaniment, allowed us not to miss the orchestra that would otherwise be difficult to do without. As a composer for piano, Jaëll is clearly orientated in one direction, namely that of modern salon music. It is all the more to his credit, therefore, that he took complete account of the musical tastes of our public and with true artistic prudence gave priority in his performance to compositions of other masters; of his own works the programme contained only two – the well-known „Home sweet home“ (by popular demand) and a Caprice on „Dinorah“ – that served rather as encores. To repeated rapturous demand he readily and charmingly added two more éncores, the transcription of „Tannhäuser“ and also „Nordstern“ [L’étoile du Nord]. Additionally he performed the Variations by Handel, the C sharp minor Waltz by Chopin and a concert Étude by Liszt. Laub also excelled as a solo performer in the Chaconne by J.S. Bach, in the Elegie by Ernst and in a Polonaise of his own composition, added on the demand of the audience. Alongside these two virtuosi, Mrs Bělsky [Bělska] made her claim to being a judicious Lieder singer in her sensitive performances of „Suleika“ by Mendelssohn and „Srdce ztracené“ [Lost heart] by Pivoda, and was also honoured with applause and was recalled [to the stage]. The concert was well attended by a glittering public.’
An unsigned Národní listy 13/1/1863 review of this event remarked that Ferdinand Laub allowed free admission to this concert to be given to pupils of the violin school of the Prague Conservatory. This source also reported that Laub was said to be arranging a third concert with Alfred Jaell ‘with orchestral accompaniment.’ This subsequent event was said to be taking place in the Provisional Theatre because the audience capacity [c.300] of the Žofín Hall was considered to be insufficient. Three days later, Národní listy 16/1/1863 announced that Laub was to participate in a concert of the Academic Reading Society on 1/3/1863. However, no further news appeared in the Czech press concerning either of these intended additional concerts, which therefore most probably did not occur.
The Czech-language music periodical Dalibor 10/1/1863 published a review of this concert, signed ‘–ák.’ The correspondent remarked: ‘Second concert of Messrs Ferd. Laub and Alf. Jaell 4th January. Referring to the performance of both concert-givers, about whom we previously mentioned, we confine ourselves today to the pieces performed in this concert for the first time. Circumstances that the Sonata for violin and piano (op.105) by Robert Schumann so seldom performed, which is greatly to be regretted, belongs to the most ingenious [duchaplný – ingenious, subtle, brilliant, spirited], most interesting and most effective compositions of the unfortunately early deceased master, characteristics that testify to the difficulties of this work. The essence of the work, down to the most subtle details, shone through in the performance, affording the listeners a rare spiritual delicacy. Just as interesting a number made the Concerto for violin by Mendelssohn, which Mr Jaell excellently accompanied at the piano. The superabundantly complicated finale was performed by the concert-givers so quickly and it seems to us, such an overstated tempo, that such a tempo we cannot recall before in this oft-played composition. In the first movement it would have been advisable for the piano to have been more understated than the concertante instrument. Mr Laub again performed the Chaconne of Š. Bach, in which he proved his mastery in polyphonic playing; next he gave Ernst’s Elegie and on request the – as bravura as it is grateful – Polonéz. Being many times recalled he added his own humorous Potpourri on Czech folksongs. Mr Jaell performed in addition to Variations by Haendel, a Waltz by Chopin, then a very bravura Étude by Fr. Liszt, again his favourite transcription on „Home sweet home“ (on request), Caprice on themes from opera „Dinora“ by Meyerbeer and as a bonus Paraphrase on the Pilgrim’s Chorus from the opera „Tannhäuser“ and brilliant transcription from opera „Vielka“ [L’étoile du Nord]. Making a very interesting addition to this concert was the singing of Mrs Bělská, who with patent understanding and sonorous voice performed Mendelssohn’s „Sulejka“ and „Ztracené srdce“ [Lost heart] by Pivoda. It could be requested that this adorable singer more often appeared in the concert hall. Mrs Bělská was also greatly applauded and honoured with approbation. The audience completely filled all places in the hall and rewarded the concert-givers often with approbation and abundant, merited applause.’ Following this review the periodical noted that Laub and Jaell had given free entry to this concert (and that of 28/12/1862) to members of the violin school of the Prague Conservatory. It reported too that the ‘Violins, on which Mr Ferd. Laub played in both of his concerts, have their own historical interest, in that they are the very same ones on which N. Paganini gave concerts. They are genuine Stradivari and cost 7000 francs in gold.’ Finally the news was announced that ‘Messrs F. Laub and Jaell are arranging, as we have learnt, on general request another concert with accompanying orchestra and in particular, in that the surroundings of the Žofín Hall being unsuited to a very large audience, in the Czech Provisional Theatre.’
Possibly reproduced from the above Dalibor 10/1/1863 report, the German-language newspaper Bohemia 14/1/1863 published news that ‘(The violin) on which Laub played in his last concert here is, as reported by a local newspaper, the one upon which Paganini gave concerts. It is a noble Stradivarius and is worth over 7000 francs in gold. – Mr Laub incidentally intends in a short while to give a concert in the Czech Provisional Theatre.’
Summary of sources:
Lumír (01/01/1863)Národní listy (03/01/1863)
Národní listy (03/01/1863)
Prager Morgenpost (06/01/1863)
Politik (06/01/1863)
Lumír (08/01/1863)
Dalibor, časopis pro hudbu, divadlo a umění vůbec (10/01/1863)
Dalibor, časopis pro hudbu, divadlo a umění vůbec (10/01/1863)
Národní listy (13/01/1863)
Bohemia (14/01/1863)
Národní listy (16/01/1863)