• Tyrolese Singer Brothers Meister: participating ensemble, vv

An advertisement for this event was published by Tagesbote aus Böhmen 28/5/1857, noting: ‘Summer Theatre in the Pstross Garden. Commencing at 5 o’clock. Ending at 7 o’clock. Thursday 28th May 1857. Song Production [Gesangs-Produktion] of the Tyrolese Singers [Tiroler Sänger] Messrs Peter Meister, J. Meickl, J. Fixler, L. Gritsch and Persler. In two parts: Before the first part: Das Versproch’ne hinter’m Herd. Before the second part: Servus Herr Stutzerl!’

The two pre-musical parts of the event comprised spoken farces. The players in the farces were not identified but may well have been the members of the Tyrolese singing group. The popular Tyrolese Singers toured throughout Europe during the 1850s. They visited Prague as early as 1851 when they comprised the brothers Meister and F. Bauer.

The Tyrolese Singers performed again in the Pstross Summer Theatre on the following day, 29/5/1857. An account of their performances, signed ‘h.’, was published by Tagesbote aus Böhmen 30/5/1857. The corrsepondent  reported: ‘In the Summer Theatre [Sommertheater – the name of the venue was printed in a bold typeface] the day before yesterday and yesterday a Society of Tyrol Folksingers [Gesellschaft von Tyroler Natursängern] gave a production. The singers formed a sextet with pleasant higher and very powerful lower voices very precise in both timing and in nuance (especially in a particularly tender, echo-like pianissimo). Their repertoire comprised solo and ensemble pieces for voices, in praiseworthy manner eschewing the trivial that is mostly inseparable from such phenomena, and very skilful zither performances. Of the solo pieces found most favour Moser’s beautiful poem Andreas Hofer in strophic folk-melody with refrain, performed by the leader ([who was] decorated with two medals) of the Society with his very powerful bass and with great patriotic ardour.’