Prague Concert Life, 1850-1881

Event title:

Pastoral and National-Concert [Pastoral- und National-Koncert] given by the Pyrenean Mountain-singers

Venue: Žofín Island (Žofín Hall)

Event type: Popular social musical and dance events

Date: 07/08/1851 7pm

Season: Summer

Programme comprising:

General participants:
  • Mountain-singers from the Pyrenees: participating ensemble
  • First Prague Civil Musical Ensemble [Prager Civilkapelle]: participating ensemble
UNSPECIFIED, ? : hymne pastorale [folksong?] La Pyrénées, vv [/ solo v?]
UNSPECIFIED, ? : vocal work [folksong?] La chasse aux isards, vv [/ solo v]
UNSPECIFIED, ? : vocal work [folksong?] Halte là! Les montagnards sont là!, vv [/ solo v?]
UNSPECIFIED, ? : vocal work [folksong?] Marche triomphale, vv [/ solo v?]
UNSPECIFIED, ? : vocal work [folksong?] La Tyrolienne des Pyrénées, vv [/ solo v?]
UNSPECIFIED, ? : vocal work [folksong?] L'enfant des montagnes, vv [/ solo v]
UNSPECIFIED, ? : vocal work [folksong?] Rondeau militaire et pastorale (Rataplan), vv [/ solo v?]
UNSPECIFIED, ? : vocal work 'chant populaire du midi' [folksong?] La Toulousaine, vv [/ solo v?]
UNSPECIFIED, ? : vocal work 'marche nocturne favorite' La retrait toulousaine, vv [/ solo v?]
ROSSINI, Gioachino Antonio : Overture to opera Guillaume Tell, orch
AUBER, Daniel François Espirit : Overture to opera La muette de Portici, orch
WEBER, Carl Maria von : Overture to opera Der Freischütz, orch
UNSPECIFIED, ? : unspecified Rondo, ob, [orch?]
     • Bachmann, Eduard : ob

Commentary:

Brief details noting the date, time and venue of this event appeared in the Tagesanzeiger texts of Bohemia 7/8/1851 and 8/8/1851. An advertisement for the event was published in Bohemia 7/8/1851. This announced ‘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 Thursday 7th 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, the singers had appeared at the venue two days earlier.

Lumír 7/8/1851 published news that ‘Today on Žofín Island will be the first great concert of the 40
Pyrenean Singers.’ No further details were given by this source.

A ‘first and last great concert’ of this ensemble had previously been advertised by Bohemia
in a similarly worded advertisement to be taking place on 5th August, and the newspaper’s Tagesanzeiger texts that covered 5th August had noted that the ensemble was to appear in the Žofín Hall on that day. However, it seems very likely that the event was postponed until 7th August 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.

A review, signed ‘V.’, of this event was published by Bohemia 10/8/1851. The correspondent noted how the ‘highly interesting entertainment production given by the so-called Pyrenean Singers was bound to have a great impact on the listeners, as does all art and in particular music that is of real national identity.’ The songs given by the ensemble were then described in terms of their style, which was thought to be ‘far from original naïve folksong’ in terms of their more complex form and harmonic content but still fundamentally different from a modern art-music style. In descriptive content too the songs were adjudged to be portraying ‘a completely different picture of nature from that which we generally associate with music of the high mountains and great valleys.’ Of specifically local stylistic content were the ‘surprising entries of characteristically Spanish rhythmical instruments [possibly alluding to maracas or castanets], a certain southern colouring ... the cut of the melody, its agile flexibility and a rhythm that is laced with caesuras’. A French influence was deemed to be evident ‘in harmony, rhythm and in parts of the instrumental accompaniment, as well as in many surprising aspects of the writing for the voices’. Of the songs performed, the first in particular made a great impression upon the listeners. Their expressive content was considered to be discernible too in the works of ‘modern Parisian composers such as Halevy and Berlioz on the one hand and Auber and Adam on the other. Evidently, they have derived their invention from such national or similar origins, or have at least been inspired by them.’ In some of the later songs the intonation was at times poor, being attributed by the critic ‘to the understandable fatigue of the singers.’ The performances suffered from difficulties in rhythm and harmony present in some of the songs, but on the whole was ‘surprisingly excellent and exceptionally precise. ‘Even those who did not agree with the style of the presentation and with the part-writing [in the compositions] had to admit to this.’ Sections in which the alto and tenor voices were prominent were particularly impressive on account of their ‘richness of sound.’ The solo tenor was also praised on account of the power of his voice even in the higher register. The critic then described perceived peculiarities in the presentation of the concert itself, such as the ringing of a bell between numbers and the ceremonious announcement of each piece. Finally, the review remarked that performing too at the event were the Prague
Civilian musical ensemble [of Schäde and Heydinger]. Their playing of overtures was ‘quite laudable; only the lack of brass instruments was apparent. The Rondo for oboe, which was performed with virtuosity by Bachmann, gained approbation. The hall was only half full.

The songs listed in the database programme record are given in their performance order, having been listed as such by the Bohemia 10/8/1851 review text. The position of the instrumental works in the programme cannot be ascertained.

An article, signed ‘V.’, was published in Bohemia 15/8/1851 responding to criticism by J.N. Škroup, then the choirmaster of Prague’s principal church St Vitus, that the recent performance of a mass by this ensemble was disappointing and that the enthusiastic review by the correspondent ‘V.’ of their first appearance in the Žofín Hall was inaccurate and misplaced. The Bohemia correspondent emphasized that his judgements had been based upon having heard the singers in the concert hall. The expressive and aesthetic intentions behind ‘worldly and church music’, as well as these different types of music were performed in different locations should ‘not have to be explained to a person as highly ranked as the opponent [i.e. Škroup]... Therefore, there is no reason for any dispute, especially as I must admit that I was unable to attend the concert of the singers at the church. Whether the performance of the singers in church was really as bad as “Herr Reporter” portrays, has to be left open... If the mass as a composition was really as trivial as the Master of the Choristers portrays: so their performance in God’s temple gives a new perspective on the old principle: Mulier taceat in ecclesia, quality of voice, precision, accuracy and clarity of the performance can vary due to unfaourable circumstances, but it could not be supposed that the character of these voices as we heard in their first concert in the Žofín Island Hall could have changed. Everything that I said about the singers I have to repeat even now, and I cannot take it back in defiance of the disagreement and authority of the reporter, especially as my praises to the unbiased reader were only conditional and nothing that had to be criticised was skated over. To the strangely petulant criticsm that as a musical reporter I am too strict towards local artists in comparison, this could only be answered if the honourable Mr Opponent [Herr Gegner] would not disdain from connecting his assertion with the example of a real and specific case.’


Summary of sources:

Bohemia, ein Unterhaltungsblatt (07/08/1851)
Bohemia, ein Unterhaltungsblatt (07/08/1851)
Lumír (07/08/1851)
Bohemia, ein Unterhaltungsblatt (08/08/1851)
Bohemia, ein Unterhaltungsblatt (10/08/1851)
Bohemia (15/08/1851)