• LASNER, Ignaz: soloist, vc
• REICHEL, Josef: soloist, v

Bohemia 25/10/1850 published news that on Sunday at 4.30pm the violoncellist Mr Lasner would give a concert in the Platteyßsaale [Platýz], in association with Messrs Reichel and Versing. A third of the profit from the concert was noted to be destined for the fund for the provision of replacement limbs for wounded soldiers. No further details of the event were noted by this text. The Tagesanzeiger texts of Bohemia 25/10/1850 and 27/10/1850 specified the date, time and venue of Lasner’s concert.

A review, signed ‘V.’, of this concert was published by Bohemia 29/10/1850. This reported that the advertisements for the event had promised much. However, the correspondent was highly critical of the occasion, beginning the report by noting that the level of attendance in the ‘uncommonly empty Hall offered a very unedifying sight. Mr Lasner compounded this from the standpoint of his choice of numbers.’ The works that he gave were deemed to be compositions that were only really the preserve of ‘virtuosi of the first rank’ such as Servais and the native Träg, among whom the visiting ’cellist was most certainly not considered to be. Lasner could not meet the specified tempi, struggled over technical details and was unequal to the poetic [expressive] content of the pieces. The critic admired ‘the lofty self-confidence with which the concert-giver entered the musical arena of Prague’, yet his true place in concert-giving was thought more fittingly to belong to the salon and not the concert hall. A ‘bright spot’ in the concert was identified in the successful performances by singer Reichel of two works. Finally, the review reported that following the performance [evidently by Lasner] of ‘quater (sic) pieces de Salon pour le (sic) dames’ almost half of the sparse audience had vacated the hall.

The works specified in the database event record are listed in order in which they appeared in the Bohemia review. Only the two vocal works were specifically identified by that source. The earlier Bohemia report had identified Versing [baritone singer] to be appearing in the concert. However, no mention of the artist was made by the subsequent review text. Neither did the review text confirm that part of the profit from the event was destined for a charitable cause.