• BENNEWITZ, Antonín: soloist, vl
• GOLTERMANN, Julius: soloist, vc
• KINDL, Jan: soloist, vl
• PAULUS, Alfred: soloist, va

The German-language Prague newspaper Tagesbote aus Böhmen 3/12/1857 reported that ‘Messrs Bennewitz, Goltermann, Kindl and Paulus will be arranging here 3 Quartet soirées [Quartettsoiren], whereupon the the first will take place on Friday [4/12/1857] at 4.30pm in the Konvikt Hall.’ No further details were given by this issue of the source.

Tagesbote aus Böhmen 5/12/1857 published a review, signed ‘-h.’, of this event. The correspondent related: ‘The Quartet Soirées [Quartettsoireen] founded by Pixis and in recent years being made great favourites through Laub, opened this season before a very elegant and numerous audience (with the programme: Haydn op.50, D major –  Beethoven no.7, Op.59 (Razumovsky) in F major – Mozart no.7, B–flat major). We will, once again, as in previous years, in order to avoid the inevitable repition of what has already been said about each soirée, consider the performance of the entire cycle in detail at the end, since the limit to three soirées by no means offers a surfeit of material for a resumé. For the opening of the cycle a few general words will suffice. The secundist [second violin] in the Quartet is this time new; on the resignation of Mr Weber, Mr Kindl has taken his place... [and] engages very precisely in the admirably rehearsed ensemble playing. The importance of Goltermann, who not only through his instrument but also through his artistic support remains the pillar of the Quartet, has been long established here in Prague. About the leader, Mr Benewitz, our verdict pronounced last year remains unchanged. Mr Benewitz has the advantages of solid accuracy, great purity and dexterity in a light style, but his tone lacks skill and soul, his bow boldness and momentum. This has resulted in the palpable monotony of programmes in recent years, which have focussed on the smooth-lying quartets of Haydn and Mozart, and Beethoven limited up to op.80, beyond which they call for an unusual strength of intellectual grasp and do not allow for technical uncertainty in performances that must never lack boldness. (And a worthy demonstration of latter period Beethoven is now the duty of every good quartet player in order to protect the unique standing of their manifestation of genius against the narrow-minded criticism of the factions of Oublicheffs [Alexandre Oulibicheff – a Russian biographer of Mozart who denigrated Beethoven’s late works]). Similarly, we know well that a violinist of temperament, the highest technique and particular agility is necessitated by the profound creations of Schumann, and we may yet modifiy our comments little more for the already established programmes of the upcoming soirées, on the other hand we must recommend to the Concert-givers with regard to these Soirées, to beware the addition of showiness over Art. The economy of a tastefully predisposed programme requires the Sublime not between but always after the Lovely; why should the hero Beethoven be surpassed by nothing more than a fleeting impression.’