Prague Concert Life, 1850-1881

Event title:

Concert given by Mr Rudersdorff

Venue: Hotel Archduke Stefan

Event type: Art music culture

Date: 24/06/1851 5pm

Season: Summer

Programme comprising:

General participants:
  • RUDERSDORFF, ?: soloist, vl
  • VOGL, František Arnold: accompanist, pf
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix : String Quartet, 2vl, va, vc, nr.1, E-flat major, op.12
     • Rudersdorff, ? : v Minkus, Ludwig : vl Paulus, Alfred : va Goltermann, Julius : vc
BÉRIOT, Charles Auguste de : Concerto for violin and orchestra, vl, orch, nr.4, D minor, op.46
UNSPECIFIED, ? : Fantasie on themes from Donizetti's opera La Favorita, vl, [pf?]
RUDERSDORFF, ? : unspecified Etude for unaccompanied violin, vl
arr. Rudersdorff, ?: Ernst, H.W.: Variations burlesques, with substituted variations by Rudersdorff , vl, [pf / orch?]
KITTL, Jan Bedřich : song Der Vogelsteller, v, pf, op.12
     • Fehringer, ? : v
PROCH, Heinrich : song Die Braut am Grabe ihrer Mutter, v, pf
     • Fehringer, ? : v
SCHUBERT, Franz Peter : song Ständchen, v, pf, D889
     • Fehringer, ? : v

Commentary:

An announcement of this event was published in the Tagesanzeiger text of Bohemia 24/6/1851 noting the date, time and venue of this ‘Koncert des Hrn. Rudersdorff’. A review, signed ‘V.’, appeared in the newspaper on 26th June which confirmed the date and venue of the event. The correspondent began by noting that although the audience was sparce, such was the excellence of Rudersdorff’s playing the applause he gained was a substantial as even the most brilliantly attended event.  The works performed were then listed and the apparent characteristics of the violinist’s playing noted. Demonstrating impressive stamina, he gave all of the works almost without pause. He exhibited ‘an unusual power of tone, brilliant technical virtuosity and dignified execution’; these qualities were said to have been particularly apparent in his own compositions without accompaniment.

Also appearing in the concert was Mrs Knopp-Fehringer, who in her performance of three songs ‘proved both in interpretation as in her masterly performance to be an artist of the first rank. All three compositions were greeted with loud applause, and the last [Schubert’s Ständchen] was repeated.’ The piano accompaniment given by Mr Vogl [undpubtedly František Arnold Vogl] for both singer and violinist was ‘very fitting and delicate.’ Finally, the report related that the event opened with a performance by Rudersdorff, Minkus, Paulus and Goltermann of the
‘particularly in its scherzo and finale highly interesting quartet by Mendelssohn, op.12. The performance was very successful, and left little to be desired as to the precision and energy of the playing.’

The song by Kittl was reported by the Bohemia review with the title ‘Vogelsänger’. This was undoubtedly an error; the work would have been his song Der Vogelsteller, op.12. In the performance of the piece by Ernst, Rudersdorff was noted to have substituted some of the variations for ones of his own.


Summary of sources:

Bohemia (24/06/1851)
Bohemia (26/06/1851)