• Prague Conservatory: participating institution
• KITTL, Jan Bedřich: director of institute, conductor

The programme is reproduced in order corresponding with the detailed listings published before the concert by both Prager Morgenpost 29/3/1859 and Dalibor 1/4/1859 (p.79). Josef Řebíček and Otilie Bubnová were both admitted as pupils to the Conservatory in 1855.

The unsigned Dalibor 10/4/1859 (p.86) review enthused about Řebíček’s playing, noting that ‘with great certainty he overcame all the technical difficulties of the work, and performed both movements very cleanly, dexterously and with refinement.’ Bubnová was considered not to be of quite the same technical standard, for although her voice was ‘strong and resonant’, it was not yet adjudged to be mature. By far the greater part of the review was given over to an appreciation of the pianist Alexander Dreyschock. ‘Dreyschock played the fifth [piano] Concerto of Beethoven, and he proved distinctly, how high he towers as to understanding and performance of this work over all virtuosi whom previously we have heard. Dreyschock penetrated all the secret beauties of this concerto, and with his inexpressibly perfect performance gave us the complete spirit of this masterpiece. [. . .] In his [Dreyschock’s] work Der Triumphmarsch with orchestra, in which are heaped alps of all difficulties, the soloist testified to his wonderful technical capability and his astonishing steadiness [stamina]. The greatest summit of all difficulties is to be found in the central movement of this work, where the octave scales to the melody of the Austrian hymn filled everyone with wonder and astonishment. We have heard the celebrated virtuosi [Hans von] Bülow, [Anton] Rubinstein, [Julius] Schulhoff, [Charles] Wehle, [Vilemína] Klausová, [Clara] Schumann etc., however as to technique he [Dreyschock] does not have an equal. Dreyschock plays runs of sixths, thirds and octaves with lightening quickness and with such certainty, as others [only] individually conquer; with his playing he struck from the dictionary entirely the word „impossible“, he is the Paganini of the piano, with an ideal technical capability which pianists vainly strive to attain.’

The review also included brief comment about Mozart’s Symphony, given ‘as an introduction’ by the ‘young orchestra, comprising students of the Conservatory’. Although the symphony was performed ‘very precisely’ under the ‘excellent’ direction of J.F. Kittl, the reviewer expressed mixed feelings as to the effectiveness and quality of the work. The opening Allegro movement apparently suffered from ‘weak melodic ideas’ and ‘too scholarly regularity’. Better liked was the Andante in G major, ‘a piece of idyllic simplicity and of charming originality, it is melodious, easy to understand, and guarantees a great effect.’

In an announcement published separately from the main review of this concert, Dalibor 10/4/1859 (p.87) related that Kittl received a particular honour at this concert. When he mounted the conductor’s rostrum, ‘he found on it a very tastefully prepared baton [inscribed] with the initials J.B.K.’ This gift was almost certainly bestowed upon Kittl as a mark of congratulations following his recovery from a serious fall during December 1858, in which he broke his left hand. This accident was probably the reason why this first Conservatory concert of 1858 was given later than usual in the Prague concert season. The audience was, according to the Dalibor 10/4/1859 review, ‘numerous’. The review noted that Kittl conducted with his left hand.