• Patriotic Music Society: participating institution, chorus, orch

The Tagesanzeiger texts of Bohemia 6/3/1851 and 7/3/1851 specified that a concert arranged by the Patriotic Music Society was to take place in the Žofín Hall on Saturday 8th March. No further details were given this specific source. The intention of this body to give a concert of new works by native composers was noted in earlier editions of the newspaper. Bohemia 9/1/1851 had published a report that the Society was expected soon to present an ‘interesting programme’ of new compositions. Prager Zeitung 22/1/1851, after reporting that the closing date for acceptance of new compositions to be performed by the Society would be on 25th March, noted that the first concert of the body would take place on 28th February in the Žofín Island Hall. No concert was given by the Society on that date.

A review, signed ‘V.’, of this event on 8/3/1851 was published by Bohemia 11/3/1851. The source noted that the programme comprised nine items of which only the fifth, the song Touha [Longing] by ‘Gelen’ [Jelen], was the composer publically identified. Each of the other works performed was identified with only an anonymous motto. The concert performances enabled the compositions to be assessed, this being particularly useful to judge the effectiveness of ideas, form and texture in the two large overtures for orchestra. These two works were considered to be very different. The first ‘routine in form and orchestration’ and characterized less by novelty of thought as through a classical, ‘respectable articulation and clarity’. The second ‘Koncert-Ouverture’ displayed a striving for originality that gave the work more the character of ‘an intermezzo or an entr’acte to a drama’. Of the remainder of the programme the two most notable of four given choruses were named, as well as two piano works. The first, Ständchen a See, was of ‘the colour of a modern song composition’. The second, ‘Variations brillantes’ contained passages of writing ‘of the Herz-Czerny period.’ The pianist, noted to have been anonymous, was curtain-called. Finally, the review related that the Žofín Hall was ‘very full’, but that the audience was ‘mostly very passive’.

The works are listed in the database event record in order as specified by the Bohemia review. Two of the choruses were not identified.