Language Selection
Event title:
Fourth annual Cecilia Society concert
Venue: Žofín Island (Žofín Hall)
Event type: Art music culture
Date: 02/04/1859 4pm
Season: Lent
Programme comprising:
General participants:
- Cecilia Society: participating institution, orch, chorus
HILLER, Ferdinand
:
Wanderers Nachtlied no.2 of 6 songs, S., male vv chorus, op.25
• Miková-Bennewitzová, Emilie : S
• unspecified male vv: vv
• Miková-Bennewitzová, Emilie : S
• unspecified male vv: vv
STERN, Julius
:
ballad Elfenfragen, 3 female vv, orch, op.7
• Tipková, Louisa : v Miková-Bennewitzová, Emilie : v Schmidt-Procházková, Josefa : v
• Tipková, Louisa : v Miková-Bennewitzová, Emilie : v Schmidt-Procházková, Josefa : v
MÖHRING, Ferdinand
:
partsong Mährchen (Ich weiß nicht, was mich träumend macht), S., S., A., A., op.5
• Tipková, Louisa : v Kučerová, Marie : v Miková-Bennewitzová, Emilie : v Schmidt-Procházková, Josefa : v
• Tipková, Louisa : v Kučerová, Marie : v Miková-Bennewitzová, Emilie : v Schmidt-Procházková, Josefa : v
Commentary:
The date, time and venue of this event was listed in the Tageskalender published by Bohemia 2/4/1859. Fuller details of the event including a complete listing of the programme appeared in Prager Morgenpost 2/4/1859.
The pre-concert Dalibor 1/4/1859 report stated that all the works in this programme were being performed in Prague for the first time. In the following issue of the Czech periodical on 10/1/1859 there appeared a review of the concert. This pointedly praised the Cecilia Society, under the leadership of its director Antonín Apt, for the ‘excellent’ choice of works. Particularly well-liked were the Overture by Netzer ‘which, distinguished with pretty ideas and clever orchestration, reminds us much of the works of [C.M. von] Weber’, the ‘characteristic and thoughtfully conceived Elfenfragen’ which had had to be begun for a second time owing to a missed entry by Miss Schmidtová, and the ‘very charming and cleverly contrived’ Märchen of Möhring. Veit’s Die Hoffnung, and Der Geistertanz by Němec were also enthusiastically praised. Of Němec, the critic commented that ‘he is really the Czech Berlioz, about this we were already convinced from his earlier works, and... [Der Geistertanz] confirms our judgement.’ The critic drew particular attention to the success with which Němec expressively and vividly handled Matthisson’s text, citing as an example the feeling of terror evoked by his setting of the words ‘die bretterne Kammer der Todten erbebt, wenn zwölfmal den Hammer die Mitternacht hebt.’ The orchestration was noted to be ‘thoughtful, full of desirable effects and really more characteristic than the orchestration of Liszt.’ Němec who, the previous Dalibor 1/4/1859 had related was now resident in Russia, had dedicated the manuscript of his composition to the Cecilia Society. Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo and Finale prompted the sole comment from the Dalibor reviewer that he ‘marvelled at the talented genius of the celebrated master.’
The pre-concert Dalibor 1/4/1859 report stated that all the works in this programme were being performed in Prague for the first time. In the following issue of the Czech periodical on 10/1/1859 there appeared a review of the concert. This pointedly praised the Cecilia Society, under the leadership of its director Antonín Apt, for the ‘excellent’ choice of works. Particularly well-liked were the Overture by Netzer ‘which, distinguished with pretty ideas and clever orchestration, reminds us much of the works of [C.M. von] Weber’, the ‘characteristic and thoughtfully conceived Elfenfragen’ which had had to be begun for a second time owing to a missed entry by Miss Schmidtová, and the ‘very charming and cleverly contrived’ Märchen of Möhring. Veit’s Die Hoffnung, and Der Geistertanz by Němec were also enthusiastically praised. Of Němec, the critic commented that ‘he is really the Czech Berlioz, about this we were already convinced from his earlier works, and... [Der Geistertanz] confirms our judgement.’ The critic drew particular attention to the success with which Němec expressively and vividly handled Matthisson’s text, citing as an example the feeling of terror evoked by his setting of the words ‘die bretterne Kammer der Todten erbebt, wenn zwölfmal den Hammer die Mitternacht hebt.’ The orchestration was noted to be ‘thoughtful, full of desirable effects and really more characteristic than the orchestration of Liszt.’ Němec who, the previous Dalibor 1/4/1859 had related was now resident in Russia, had dedicated the manuscript of his composition to the Cecilia Society. Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo and Finale prompted the sole comment from the Dalibor reviewer that he ‘marvelled at the talented genius of the celebrated master.’
The composer of Elfenfragen was specified erroneously by Dalibor 10/4/1859 as ‘J. Stan’, but this was changed in Dalibor 1/4/1859 to ‘Jul. Skrn’.
Summary of sources:
Prager Morgenpost (30/03/1859)Dalibor, hudební časopis s měsíční notovou přílohou (01/04/1859)
Prager Morgenpost (03/04/1859)
Prager Zeitung (05/04/1859)
Bohemia (05/04/1859)
Dalibor, hudební časopis s měsíční notovou přílohou (10/04/1859)