• TIEFENSEE, Charlotte: soloist, v

Prager Zeitung 4/12/1859 was the first of the Prague newspapers to announce that Miss Tiefensee was to give a concert ‘Am nächsten Samstag’ [next Saturday, 10/12/1859] in the Žofín Hall. At this stage no details of the programme were released, and the Prager Zeitung text instead relayed biographical information about the singer’s musical education and her past success abroad. On the day of the performance, 10/12/1859, the newspaper announced that the concert had taken place in the afternoon and that the ‘very numerously gathered public accorded the excellent performance of the concert-giver great approbation.’ An enthusiastic and lengthy review, signed ‘!!’, was then forthcoming from the periodical on 14/12/1859

Bohemia 7/12/1859 published a brief article, signed ‘V.’, commenting upon the unanimously positive reception of Miss Tiefensee by critics in foreign lands in the ‘French, Russian, Polish and German tongues’. Whether the reviewers were from northern or sourthern climes they were described as being absolute in their appreciation of the artiste ‘not only as a concert- and oratorio- but also as a dramatic and lyric singer.’ This view, held both publicly and privately by critics, meant that there were high expectations held for her forthcoming concert on Saturday in the Žofín Hall. A listing of the works to be performed by Tiefensee in the concert was then published by Bohemia 10/11/1859, omitting references to other participants or to the works to be given by them. An initial, summary review, unsigned, of the event appeared in Bohemia 11/12/1859. This deemed the occasion a magnificent success, one which delighted the ‘very numerous’ audience. Particularly following the aria by Bellini was the applause noted to be ‘general and vigorous’. The Czech folksong Osiřelo dítě had to be encored; after it Miss Tiefensee performed in addition to the original programme František Škroup’s song Češka [Czech lady]. Two days later on 13/12/1859 the newspaper contained an extended review, signed ‘V.’, of the concert, enthusing about the performance of the singer, describing the character of her voice and her remarkable technique. Praise was accorded to Bennewitz and Carl Fischer for their account of the violin sonata by Beethoven.

On 8/12/1859 Prager Morgenpost published news that ‘Miss Fischer von Tiefensee, whose favourable renown as a concert- and opera-singer in the greatest European capitals as Paris, London, St Petersburg, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Weimar, Warsaw and elsewhere is established, gives on 10th December in the Hall of Žofín Island a concert’. The report then listed then programme in performance order, noting too the other participants. A review, signed ‘**’, was published in the newspaper on 11/12/1859.

A review of Tiefensee’s concert appeared in Dalibor 20/12/1859. In common with the German sources this text was effusive in its praise of the event and of Tiefensee as an artist. The concert ‘drew from the numerous public great approbation and noisy applause.’ She was deemed to live up to the considerable reputation that she had gained across almost the whole of Europe. The critic considered that it was needless ‘to praise her excellent schooling, her intelligent interpretation of the performed pieces, her most refined nuance of performance sometimes to the point of astonishing sophistication; for these characteristics [she is known across Europe]. In ... “Matuška golubuška” (Russian), “Las Mouchachos” (Spanish), “Ez a vilag” (Hungarian) and “Osiřelé [Osiřelo] dítě” (Czech) ... [she] utterly penetrated to the quick the essence of the nations’ folksongs and performed them masterfully. Particularly notable was the last song  “Osiřelo dítě” that she sung with such elegaic tone and such an undertone of pious affection as we have never heard before. On general demand the concert-giver repeated one verse and then added after stormy approbation Škroup’s song Češka. In the aria “Casta diva” from Norma and then in the Beggar’s aria from the opera “Prorok” [La prophéte] we marvelled at her beautiful dramatic talent, her really astonishing colloratura in the Variations by Proch, ... and finally in the Andante from the A-flat major sonata of Beethoven (with underlying text by Griepenkerl) deeply poignant execution.’ The review listed the other participants in the concert, noting that the members of the Žofín Academy ‘accurately performed’ choruses by Gade and Vogl under the direction of Karel Slavík. This source text was unique in specifying the composer of the German chorus and that the ensemble was led by Slavík. Prager Morgenpost 8/12/1859 had previously reported that conducting the men of the Academy was to have been Kolešovský. News had been published in Prager Morgenpost 12/11/1859 that Kolešovský had resigned from the directorship of that institute, undoubtedly accounting for the presence of Slavík on this occasion instead. Kolešovský did conduct the Academy in its next public concert on 20/12/1859, but in the New Year František Škroup took over as director.

The Dalibor review was the only one of the specified sources to list the Spanish folksong as Las Mouchachos. The spelling here is presumably inaccurate given that the other sources specified that the work was Las Mouchachas [The Girls]. Mouchachos is ‘Boys’, and in the form given by Dalibor is linked to the feminine ‘Las’ preposition.