• Military Music Institute: participating institution, pf, [orch]

• NEDVĚD, Antonín: soloist, v

Der Tagesbote 29/12/1854 reported that ‘The Military Music Society [Militär-Musik-Verein] is arranging a concert on Saturday 30th December at 5pm in the Žofín Hall, in which many new piano pieces will be performed. Assisting in the concert will be Messrs Nedwěd [Nedvěd], Walter and Ružčka [Ružička].’ No further details of the event were noted by this source. That the Society was arranging a concert in which piano pieces were being performed seems odd given that the institution primarily focussed upon training musicians to perform in military music ensembles. The possibility exists that the concert involved the students demonstrating their musicality through performances at the piano.

A similar report appeared in Mercy’s Anzeiger 29/12/1854 gave slightly more detailed information about the programme, announcing ‘The Military Music Society [Militär-Musik-Verein] is arranging on Saturday (30th Dec.) in the Hall of Žofín Island at 5pm a concert, at which several quite new music pieces will be performed. Friends of music will welcome that the Music Director [of the Society] will this time incorporate into the programme the favourite Tannhäuser March. Messrs Nedwed [Nedvěd], Walter and Ružička have promised their participation in this concert.’ The description of the works being given in the programme as ‘Musikpiecen’ rather than the ‘Klavirpiecen’ of Der Tagesböte is more plausible. The arrangement of the March from Tannhäuser was - as subsequently confirmed by the Mercy’s Anzeiger 31/12/1854 review - by Fr. Svoboda. His arrangement had recently been performed in Prague for the first time and had gained considerable possibility, no doubt in the wake of the highly successful Prague premiere of the opera itself in the Estates Theatre in November 1854.

Mercy’s Anzeiger 31/12/1854 published a detailed review, signed with the mark of a stylised compass arrow pointing in a north-north-easterly direction. of this event. The correspondent related ‘The performance of the yesterday evening in the Hall of Žofín Island arranged by the music director Mr Swoboda [as part of the] Concerts of the Military-Music Society demonstrated that brisk attendances for this institute have in no way decreased, with the vast Hall filled by an audience that received all the numbers of the programme with substantial applause. This was especially the case with the execution by Mr Anton Nedwěd [Nedvěd] of a song [Lied] by Chmelensky [Chmelenský] „Gute Nacht“ set to music by F.J. Skraup [Škroup] (with accompaniment of horn and harp), whose excellent performance - also in an aria from the Oratorio „Paulus“ by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy with accompaniment of orchestra performed by the said gentlemen - inspired stormy applause. Equal recognition gained also the piece: Ballabile di Concerto by G Briccialdi for flute, performed by Mr Anton Ružička, as well as the closing item - given on many requests - March and Chorus from Richard Wagner’s „Tannhäuser“ orcehstrated by F.W. Swoboda.’