• Mountain-singers from the Pyrenees: participating ensemble, vv

The Lokalzeitung of Bohemia 3/8/1851 reported that ‘The French mountain-singers [Bergsänger] from the Pyrenees, whose arrival in Prague we have already mentioned, will give their first performance in Prague next Tuesday 5th August in the Žofín Hall at 1pm.’ No previous reference to this ensemble by Bohemia can be identified.

The Tagesanzeiger text of Bohemia 5/8/1851 related that on Tuesday 5th August ‘At 1pm in the Žofín Hall: Production of the Pyrenean mountain-singers.’ An advertisement for the event was published in the same issue. This announced that the event would be ‘The first and last great Pastoral- and National-Concert of the elite 40 French Mountain-singers with the support of the first Prague Civilian band under the direction of Messrs Schäde and Heydinger, takes place on Tuesday 5th August in the Žofín Island Hall.’ Admission tickets could be purchased up until 10am on the day of the concert from the music shops of Mr Hoffmann and Mr Fischer. They cost 50kr or 30kr for first and second places [‘auf den ersten Platz’]. They could also be purchased from the box office of the venue from 12noon but then cost 1fl and 40kr respectively. Gallery tickets were also available then for 20kr. Although the advertisement specified that this would be ‘the first and last’ concert given by the ensemble, this was also noted in an almost identical advertisement published two days later for a further performance.

That this event was postponed until 7th August seems very likely, given that no post-event record appears to have been published detailing a performance by the ensemble on 5th August. On 5th August practical examinations for pupils of the local Conservatory were held in the Žofín Hall.