• Prague Conservatory: participating institution, orch
• KITTL, Jan Bedřich: director of ensemble, conductor

Bohemia 29/4/1851 announced that on Saturday, 3rd May at noon there would take place a concert for the benefit of the Private Society for the Support of the Poor House of Prague. The [Vienna] court chamber and opera singer Miss Schwarz [Švarcová] would participate, in addition to the court opera singer Mr Ander, Mr Draxler, as well as the local Conservatory. The Tagesanzeiger texts of Bohemia 1/5/1851 and 2/5/1851 listed the date, time and venue of this event.

Bohemia 2/5/1851 published a report praising Ander for his appearances in recent benefit concerts, including this for the local Institute for the Poor.

A brief review, signed ‘V.’, of this concert appeared in Bohemia 4/5/1851. The source confirmed the date, time and venue of the event and the beneficiary. The attendance in the hall [Saale] and in the gallery of the venue was ‘moderate [eines mäßigen ... Besuches]’, but in the circle was ‘multitudinous and brilliant. The popular Vienna guests Mr Ander and Draxler (Miss Schwarz on account of a sudden illness sent her apologies), contributed compositions by F. Schubert, Esser, Proch and others, and drew unending applause and calls from the enthusiastic auditorium. The same received the splendid singer Mr Versing and equally the pianist M. Mason, giving one of the most beauitful compositions [unspecified] of Alex. Dreyschock with orchestral accompaniment. Veit’s Concert Overture and that to Schumann’s Genoveva were very praiseworthily performed by pupils of the Conservatory under Kittl’s energetic direction.

A detailed review, signed ‘V.’, was published by Bohemia 6/5/1851. This reported that the event, in which participated ‘Viennese guests, Prague artists and the excellent orchestra of the Conservatory,’ aroused considerable interest, and it was only that the event took place on a work day at noon which affected its success. This was reflected in the ‘numerous and brilliant’ attendance in the circle, and the more sparse audience in other parts of the theatre [the circle was the more expensive area of the venue, whereas the stalls and gallery would usually be frequented by the working public]. The various works given were then recounted and their performances described. Of the two overtures, the correspondent remarked that their artistic content had been discussed in earlier articles. The juxtaposition of both works in the same concert facilitated their contrast, the ‘clarity and greatness of conception of the one [Veit’s], contrary to the fuzziness [Verschwommenheit] and stiltedness [Geschraubtheit] character of the other (although ingenious in conception) [Schumann’s].’ Each of the soloists received a brief appraisal. ‘With his performance of Der Wanderer Mr Versing proved himself as a first-rate master of lyrical song.’ Mr Haase received great applause for [his declamation of] the ballad from Seidl’s Das erste Bild. Miss Schwarz [Švarcová] was to have concluded the first part of the concert, but owing to ‘a sudden indisposition was brilliantly replaced by Mr Ander singing Proch’s Frage nicht more excellently than [the work itself warrants].’

In the second part of the concert, the Bohemia critic reported that ‘Mr Draxler confirmed his reputation as a singer through the ‘accurate and effective’ performance of a song by Esser and Stiller Zecher by Proch. He was twice [curtain-]called.’ He was followed by ‘a quite extravagent composition by Alex. Dreyschock that is very pleasing and successful in its form but which carries awkward difficulties for the pianist.’ The work gave the pianist Mason ‘sufficient possibilities to manifest himself as a pupil worthy of his master.’ The salient characteristics of his performing style were then outlined. Finally, the correspondent noted the concert concluded with further songs by Schubert, Esser and [the author was uncertain] probably Hölzel. These ‘less significant compositions he imbued with at least a seeming significance through his intelligent and intimate performance, managing to invest tired melodic phrases with the charm of novelty. His great success does not need to be stated.’ Excellently accompanying these pieces at the piano was Mr Vogl.

The programme record is listed in the order in which the works were described by the Bohemia 6/5/1851 source. This relates the sequence in which the vocal and concertante works were performed. However, the overtures were most likely given opening the two parts of the concert and this has been incorporated into the event record.

Bohemia 15/5/1851 published news that the profit from this concert amounted to 813fl 54kr.