Venue: Žofín Island (Žofín Hall)
Event type: Art music culture
Date: 23/04/1857 4pm
Beneficiary:
Private Society for the Support of the Prague Poorhouse
A programme bill and event detail for this concert was published by Tagesbote aus Böhmen 21/4/1857. The source noted: ‘Programme of the Concert for the Benefit of the Private Society for the Support of the Prague Poor House, 4pm on 23rd April 1857. 1. Concert Overture by Kalliwoda. 2. Venetian Gondola Song [Venetianisches Gondellied] by Mendelssohn-Bartholdi [Bartholdy], sung by Miss Emilie Schmidt. 3. Fantasie on Themes from „Lucia“ for violoncello, composed and performed by Mr Julius Goltermann, Professor at the Conservatory of Music. 4. Glaubst Du? by Marschner, sung by Miss Emilie Schmidt. 5. Adagio and Rondeau russe for violin by Beriot, performed by the twelve Conservatory pupils Ludwig Slansky, Franz Bausch, Josef Kulik, Franz Schmid, Anton Proksch, Anton Pawelka, Josef Chrs, Alois Lejsek, Wilhelm Till, Theodor Tomaschek, Eduard Schütz and Anron Melaun (by request). 6. Ouverture romantique by August Count von Adelburg (by request). Miss Emilie Schmidt and Professor Goltermann will participate, Director Kittl and Professor Mildner have with particular kindness promised to direct. Tickets are to be obtained from Mr Josef von Geitler, Roßmarkt 838 [Václavské náměstí]’, and from the Court-apparel business of Mr W.J. Löschner.’
A review, signed ‘h.’, of this event appeared in Tagesbote aus Böhmen 24/4/1857. The correspondent commented: ‘Inclement weather, which for years has ill-fated the concerts of the Private Society for the Support of the Prague Poor House, yesterday again put paid to a numerous attendance in the [Žofín] Island Hall, which was only sparse. The most interesting aspect of the concert was Miss Schmidt, who through her performance of Mendelssohn’s Gondellied and of a dramatic, spirited Lied by Marschner, assured us that the concert hall has equally acquired a singer of songs with feeling and taste, as the opera a goodly Primadonna. The beautiful, deep layers [Die schönen tiefen Lagen] of her voice and her great, spirited delivery should particularly reveal the choice characteristics of the song-treasures of Schubert and Löwe. Before this, with his well-renowned virtuosity, Prof. Goltermann gave his Lucia-Fantasie, and the Conservatory orchestra undertook three orchestral works: an Ouverture by Kalliwoda, then a welcome repeat from the last Conservatory concert of the remarkable bravura piece for 12 unison stringed instruments, after which Professor Mildner was applauded stormily, and then to close a repetition of the Ouverture romantique by Mr von Adelburg, in which the nasty acoustics [die garstige Akustik] of the Hall often caused to stand out not only the richness and delicacy of the orchestration, but also to exaggerate the swear words [‘aber auch die Uebertreibung des Kraftausdrucks’ – the sense of this is unclear whether the critic was commenting upon less accomplished moments in the music, or upon mistakes by the orchestra], than at the first performance in the [Estates] Theatre.’