• GUGLIELMI, A.M.: soloist, v
• BOTSCHON-SOUKUPOVÁ, Cecilie: soloist, v

Mercy’s Anzeiger 13/12/1854 published news that ‘Mr Guglielmi has ended his artistic travels in Germany and the day before last returned to Prague and is arranging a concert with orchestral accompaniment next Friday (15th December) in the Hall of Žofín Island. The ladies Botschon-Soukup [Botschon-Soukupová] and Lechner [Lechnerová], as well as Mr Fischer have obligingly promised their participation in this Academy, half of the profit from which Mr Guglielmi is donating to the Private Society for the Support of the Prague Poorhouse that is under the protection of His Excellency the Count Camill Rohan. We have to mention that Mr Guglielmi had the honour of performing to great approbation in the courts of Berlin and Weimar, as well as having given a concert at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.’ This same news was published too in a similarly worded public notice appearing in the same issue of the newspaper. Mercy’s Anzeiger 14/12/1854 then published the programme to the concert in detail, in performance order and noting the other participants. The issue also contained an advertisement for the event, announcing the programme and participants, relating the admission prices and that tickets could be obtained from all music shops and from the box office of the venue, and that half of the proceeds would be given to the Private Society for the Prague Poorhouse. Finally, the source stated that Kapellmeister Skraup and Professor Mildner had kindly agreed to lead the orchestra. Admission cost 2fl for the front rows of the circle, 1fl for the second rows of the circle, and 30kr for places in the gallery. The advertisement was published again by Mercy’s Anzeiger 15/12/1854.

On the day of the concert Mercy’s Anzeiger 15/12/1854 reported ‘As we have previously reported, today at 5pm in the Žofín Island Hall, very tastefully decorated with fresh flowers and green shrubbery, is the Concert of Mr Guglielmi, the profit from which is to be donated to the Private Society for the Poor House under the protection of His Excellency the Count Camill Rohan.’ 

The programme listed in the database record is taken from the Mercy’s Anzeiger 14/12/1854 sources. Before the last item a declamation was performed by Miss Lechner [Lechnerová].

Der Tagesbote 15/12/1854 reported that ‘On the 15th December (today) at 5pm in the Žofín Island Hall Mr Guglielmi arranges a concert, from which half of the profit is to be given to the Private Society for the Prague Poorhouse, whose patron is Count Camill Rohan. Participating will be the ladies Botschon [Botschon-Soukupová] and Lechner [Lechnerová], as well as Mr Fischer. The concert-giver will perform with orchestral accompaniment among other pieces the Arie di chiesa by Stradella and Mr Fischer will play on the piano a Fantasie on themes from „Tannhäuser“ and „Lohengrin“.’

An unsigned review of this concert was published by Der Tagesbote 16/12/1854. The correspondent asserted that the event was not well-attended owing to the poor choice of programme, and this was to be regretted given the good cause to which half of the profit from the event was destined, the Poor House. Guglielmi was said to possess a sonorous, full, although not completely well-trained voice, as was demonstrated in the first number, the Aria di chiesa. ‘This appears, by the way, to be his favourite piece, as if we are not mistake we already heard it two weeks ago in his last appearance [here], and in Leipzig in the Eighth Subscription Concert of the Gewandhaus. Of the other participants the correspondent notably remarked about the pianist Fischer brilliantly and elegantly performing Jaell’s ‘highly inappropriate’ arrangement of themes from Tannhäuser and Lohengrin.

Mercy’s Anzeiger 16/12/1854 also published a review, signed ‘-s.’, of this event. The critic reported that ‘Yesterday (15th Dec.) Mr M. Guglielmi, the Italian baritone who just lately has become favourably well-know here, gave a concert in the Žofín Island Hall. He sang the „Aria di chiesa“ by Stradella, already heard once before, then the duet „Herbstlied“ by Mendelssohn with Mrs Botschon-Soukup [Soukupová], concluding with the Romanze in D-flat [major] from „Don Pasquale“. After the final applause he added Schubert’s „Trockene Blumen“. The concert-given exhibited in these numbers his here now familiar method of singing, and gained honourable recognition [from the audience]. Mrs Botschon-Soukup, making a very welcome appearance in the concert hall, supported Mr Guglielmi not only in the aforementioned fine duet but also gave a piece [Preghiera - lit. prayer] by Löwe and a song [Lied] by A.F. Vogl [František Vogl]. She sang all of these piece with all the charm of her sonorous voice and with deep feeling. She gained vociferous applause and curtain-calls. Miss Lechner spoke a quite witty - but provocative of too much applause - poem by Frankl, obtaining the desired success. The excellent pianist Mr Fischer gave a Fantasie by Jäll [Jäell], in which an odd assortment of themes from „Tannhäuser“ and „Lohengrin“ are paraphrased in a banal fashion, with excellent bravura and accuracy; his performance of the songs was very delicate. The attendance was poor on account of the extraordinarily unfavourable weather.’

News of the pecuniary success of the concert was published by Mercy’s Anzeiger 17/12/1854. The source noted that ‘Mr Guglielmi has donated the profit from the concert he arranged the day before yesterday (15th Dec.) in the Žofín Island Hall, specifically 80fl, to the Private Society for the Support of the Prague Poor House under the patronage of His Excellency the Count Camill Rohan.’

Two extraordinary public notices were published in Mercy’s Anzeiger 17/12/1854. The first announced that ‘Mr Guglielmi, who in the previous concert gained great applause, regretted that orchestral parts for the aria by Stradella which had been commissioned from the music shop of Hoffmann from Leipzig did not arrive here in time, and that the vocal pieces had to be performed with piano accompaniment. Mr Guglielmi gave after the aria from Don Pasquale the favourite Schubert song „Trokkene Blumen [Trockne Blumen]“. The second notice reported that Guglielmi had departed the day before yesterday (i.e. 15th December) on the evening train at 9.30pm to Gent. He would be giving concerts in the Hague, Amsterdam and Hannover. Before his departure he gave half of the profits, 80kr, from his concert to Count Camill Rohan for the Private Society for the Prague Poor House. The members of the society gave Guglielmi their warm thanks. Both public notices, most likely commissioned by the singer or perhaps by the benefitting Society, were obviously issued to draw attention to his activities, his charitable intentions and his artistic stature.