Prague Concert Life, 1850-1881

Event title:

[Third] Concert given by the Neruda [Nerudová] siblings

Venue: Estates Theatre

Event type: Art music culture

Date: 27/09/1850 pm (evening)

Season: Summer

Programme including:

General participants:
  • NERUDOVÁ, Vilemína: soloist, vl
  • NERUDOVÁ, Amálie: soloist, pf
  • NERUDA, Viktor: soloist, vc
  • Estates Theatre orchestra: participating orchestra
SPONTINI, Gasparo : Overture to opera Fernand Cortez, orch
BÉRIOT, Charles Auguste de : unspecified Concerto for violin and orchestra, vl, orch
VIEUXTEMPS, Henri : Caprice burlesque [also Souvenir d'Amèrique] Variations on American song Yankee Doodle, vl, orch, op.17
UNIDENTIFIED, ? : Variations on Czech folksong Ach není tu (Ah, it's not here), vl
BÉRIOT, Charles Auguste de : , OSBORNE, George Alexander : unspecified work, vl, [? pf/orch]
KUMMER, Friedrich August : Variations on a theme from Bellini's opera Il Pirata, vl, vc
UNSPECIFIED, ? : unspecified vocal work, v, [? pf/orch]
     • Knopp, ? : v

Commentary:

The date and venue of this concert to be given by the Neruda [Nerudová] children was listed in the Tagesanzeiger texts of Bohemia 26/9/1850 and 27/9/1850. No further information about the programme was listed by the sources, except to note that the performance was preceded by that of Der Sonntagsräuschchen [a play].

A review, signed ‘V.’, of this ‘last concert’ was
published by Bohemia 29/9/1850. The correspondent began by noting that the event was not so numerously attended as might have been expected given the unusual success of their previous concerts and the participation of the highly promising violinist Wilhelmine. Two reasons for the low attendance were postulated; either general interest in ostenibly minor art and humble artists was dwindling, or [interest was lower] due to the home-grown sound of the names of our young virtuosi.’ Otherwise, of the success of the event the critic had no doubt, and this was reflected in the positive approval of the audience. As in the two earlier concerts, particular attention was focussed on the violinist. ‘Bertiot’s well-known [unspecified] Concerto with orchestral accompaniment afforded the young violinist plenty of opportunity to display her merits’, the composition containing more brilliance than profundity. ‘The piquant Burlesque “Yankee doodle” awoke such enthusiasm that Wilhelmine was many times [curtain-]called, and after her already arduous numbers ... added 2 variations on the folksong “Ach není” [Ach není tu].’ The review then noted the works that were given by Amalie and Viktor and commented that their performances confimed what the critic had already written in his review of the first concert. Spontini’s Overture was ‘precisely performed’ and particularly interesting on account of its energetic rhythm and brilliant orchestration. Finally, the text reported that Mr Knopp was also curtain-called, presumably on account of his performing an unspecified vocal work.

The database programme record lists the works in the order in which they are covered by the Bohemia 29/9/1850 review, with the exception of the Overture played by the Estates Theatre orchestra.


Summary of sources:

Bohemia, ein Unterhaltungsblatt (26/09/1850)
Bohemia, ein Unterhaltungsblatt (27/09/1850)
Bohemia, ein Unterhaltungsblatt (29/09/1850)