• Estates Theatre orchestra: participating orchestra

Advance news of this event was published by Mercy’s Anzeiger 13/3/1857. A report noted that ‘On 25th March at 7pm takes place in the Royal Estates Theatre for the Benefit of the Prague re-organized Institute for the Poor a great musical Academy’. The programme to the event was then listed, with numbering of the individual pieces indicating the projected performance order. The specific tenor aria to be performed by J.L. Lukes from Die Jahreszeiten was not identifiable from the source. In the Finale from Beethoven’s Symphony the solo parts were divided between the listed individuals. The report was published again, with a minor alteration in the wording, in Mercy’s Anzeiger 19/3/1857.

Tagesanzeiger aus Böhmen 25/3/1857 published a public notice announcing this event: ‘Today Wednesday for the benefit of the reorganization of the Institute for the Poor in the Royal Estates Theatre great Musical Academy. 25th March at 7pm.’

Mercy’s Anzeiger 27/3/1857 published a brief review, signed ‘Z.’, of the event, the reviewer remarking that ‘The day before yesterday on 25th March took place as every year in the Royal Estates Theatre the concert for the benefit of the newly reorganized Institute for the Poor. It was given under the direction of Kapellmeister F. Skraup [Škroup] by the vocal and instrumental forces of the Theatre. To commence, Taubert’s Overture from Blaubart was performed with precision. This was an interesting composition not only from the point of view of the invention in the orchestration, but also as a novelty, not having been performed in the last decade. Mr Fekter sang following that the tenor aria from Haydn’s Jahreszeiten, which was of no difficulty for his performance technique. Not many other members of our opera would have been adequate. To end the concert was Beethoven’s enormous ninth Symphony. The solo rôles were taken by Misses Chalupka and Müller as well as by two amateurs, and by Messrs Emminger, Fekter, Freny and Strakatý. The performance was meticulous [sorgsältig], and in particular the instrumental performance was very noteworthy. The attendance was weak.’ Evidently Fektér took the place of Lukes in the performance of Haydn’s aria and in the tenor part in the symphony.

Tagesbote aus Böhmen 5/4/1857 reported that this event had raised a net profit for the Institute for the Poor of 432fl 37kr.