• Estates Theatre orchestra: participating orchestra

The Tagesanzeiger text of Bohemia 23/3/1851 reported the date and venue of this concert for the benefit of the Poor Institute [Armeninstituts]. The Tagesanzeiger text of Bohemia 25/3/1851 also included details of the event, stating that ‘Tuesday, 25th March. Evening in the Theatre: Great musical Academy for the benefit of the newly organized Poor Institute.’

A review, signed ‘V.’, of this event was published by Bohemia 27/3/1851. The correspondent remarked that he could scarcely recall such a concert of seven so weighty numbers, of works of great quality, receiving little pre-event coverage by the Prague press. Moreover the individual performances were ‘splendid’, being given by artists of the first rank and of the most promising talents. Of the two purely orchestral compositions in the programme, ‘the Oberon Overture was so admirably performed that it had to be repeated.’ Mozart’s ‘gigantic’ Symphony in C major completed the programme, which due to the inclusion too of 3 concertante items and 3 pieces of musica sacra ‘required a particular receptiveness and perceptive stamina on the part of the listeners’. This was seen as an explanation as to why the audience had dwindled and the Theatre was only half full when the symphony began at ‘halb 10’.

Each of the instrumental soloists were commended in the Bohemia review. Köckert, who the critic noted was much appreciated for being second violinist in local chamber music soirées, ‘gained well-earned and abundant applause with his performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.’ The ‘soulful cantilena of his solo part in the beautiful Andante, the elegant and virtuoso slickness of his playing in the piquant Rondo movement demonstrated the very gratifying progress this industrious, striving youg artist has made in the course of his education.’ Performing an unspecified piano concerto by Sterndale Bennett that was praised for its vigour and particularly poetic and distinct character, the second instrumentalist ‘Beny Rie’ exhibited a virtuosity that was ‘for his youth so magnificent, that we may only agree with the encouraging applause of the enthusiastic public.’ Although evidently a juvenile he showed himself to be a promising virtuoso whose future development under the guidance of his teacher Risch promised much ‘for the future.’ The third solo instrumentalist, Julius Goltermann, performed a concerto by Bernhard Romberg, ‘in the memory of all older music-friends the violoncellist par excellence.’ His playing of ‘this poetic but difficult instrument’ exhibited a ‘full tone and flawless intonation’. He received considerable applause and was thrice curtain-called. Similar recognition was reported to have been given by the audience to the performances of the singers Versing and Mrs Knopp-Fehringer. The review concluded by noting that the ‘accompaniment of the concerti and the song compositions by the orchestra was, despite their difficulty, totally appropriate for the soloists, very precise and delicate.’