Národní listy 25/1/1861 reported that the ‘Musical rehearsal to the Ball of Czech Lawyers [Hudební zkouška ku plesu českých právníků] will take place tomorrow at 3.30 in the afternoon. The greater part of the compositions that will be performed are dedicated to Czech lawyers.’ A brief, unsigned review was published in the following day’s issue of the newspaper: ‘Musical rehearsal to dance ball of Czech Lawyers, which took place yesterday afternoon, drew a very numerous public to the Žofín Island Hall. Compositions, mostly original, gained unanimous applause and often had to be repeated; particularly well-liked were those pieces in which folksongs tunes were heard. Seeing that the music gained such favour, it is to be hoped that the Ball of Czech Lawyers will number amonst the most magnificent and most entertaining of this Carnival.’

The description of the favoured folk style of dance music is indicative of how perceivably ‘Czech’ musical style at this time was associated with folk idiom. The description given of the dance compositions as ‘pieces in which folksongs tunes were heard’ [kusy, v nichžto se nápěvy národních písní ozývaly] maybe interpreted as indicating a more flexible and individual style to these pieces than their composers simply quoting folk melodies. ‘Ozývat se’ may also mean ‘to echo or reverberate’, so the pieces may not have contained specific folksongs themes – although that is quite likely – but could have utilized original themes imitative of folksong melodic style.