• LAUB, Ferdinand: soloist, vl
• GRAF, Vilém: soloist, pf

The Prague German-language newspaper Tagesbote aus Böhmen 15/3/1857 reported that ‘In the next Concert of Messrs Laub and Graf, which takes place on Wednesday 18th, will be participating in song performances Miss Elisabeth Mathias, someone who is new to Prague. The young lady is educated in Paris by the best masters, Bordogni and Duprez, and has recently achieved a favourable result in the Leipzig Gewandhaus, known to be one of the most strict and most authoritative tribunals of musical Germany.’ On 17/3/1857 Tagesbote published further details of this concert, noting: ‘Tomorrow takes place at 5½ hours in the Konvikt Hall the second Concert-Soirée of Messrs Ferdinand Laub and Wilhelm Graf. The programme is give in the insert.’ The insert referred to the advertisement appearing in that same issue of the newspaper. This related: ‘Tomorrow Wednesday 18th March Concert-Soirée of the Kapellmeister Ferdinand Laub and the Pianist Wilhelm Graf in the Konvikt Hall at 4.30pm. Programme. 1. Sonata for pianoforte and violin by L. van Beethoven, performed by W. Graf and F. Laub. 2.a. Mateřčina, by Laub, b. Romance from Guido und Ginevra, performed by Mr Reichel. 3.a. Nocturne, b. Saltarella, composed and performed by W. Graf. 4. Ciachonne by Bach for the violin, performed by F. Laub. 5. La siciliana by Verdi, sung by Miss Matthias. 6.a. Reverie Italienne, b. La gazelle, composed and performed by W. Graf. 7. Lieder, sung by Miss Matthias. 8.a. Elegie by Laub, b. Tarantella by Vieuxtemps, performed by F. Laub. From particular favour to the concert-giver have Miss Matthias from Paris and Mr Reichel promised their participation. Tickets in the Circle at 2fl., in the Hall at 1fl., and Gallery at 30kr. are to be obtained from the art and music shops of J. Fischer and Christoph and Kuhé.’   

Mercy’s Anzeiger 16/3/1857 announced that ‘The 2nd Concert-Soirée of Messrs Laub and Graf takes place next Wednesday (18th March).’ The following day, on 17/3/1857, the newspaper reported the date, time and venue of the event, and listed the programme in performance order, as well as the soloists. ‘From particular goodwill to the concert-giver, Miss Matthias from Paris and Mr Reichel have kindly agreed to participate.’ This programme was listed as follows: ‘1. Sonata for pianoforte and violin (op.12) by L. van Beethoven, performed by W. Graf and F. Laub. 2.a) Mateřčina, poem by Picek, music by F. Laub performed by Mr Reichel. Romanze from Guido und Ginerra by Halévy, performed by Mr Reichel. 3.a) Nocture [Nocturne] from Deux scenes napolitaines composed and performed by W. Graf. b) Saltarella, composed and performed by W. Graf. 4. Ciachonne [Chaconne] by Bach for the violin, performed by Laub. 5. La siciliana by Verdi, sung by Miss Matthias. 6.a) Reverie italienne, b) La Gazelle, composed and performed by W. Graf. 7. Lieder sung by Miss Matthias. 8.a) Elegie by Laub, b) Tarantella by Vieuxtemps, performed by F. Laub. Out of particular goodwill to the concert-giver have Miss Matthias from Paris and Mr Reichel kindly promised their participation.’

An advertisement for this event was published by Mercy’s Anzeiger 18/3/1857. The text reported ‘Today 18th March takes place the 2nd Concert-Soirée of Messrs Ferdinand Laub and Wilhelm Graf in the Konvikt Hall with the kind participation of Miss Matthias from Paris. Commencing 4.30pm. Admission tickets to the Circle at 2fl, to the Hall at 1fl, Gallery at 30kr may be obtained from the music shops of Christoph and Kuhé and J. Fischer.’

Mercy’s Anzeiger 20/3/1857 published a review, signed ‘Z.’, of this event, the newspaper’s critic relating that: ‘The attendance of the concert was more numerous than of the first soirée and the audience was greatly excited by the brilliant performance of both artists to an extent that can only be encountered with performers of the front rank in the artistic world. First, we heard Beethoven’s Sonata for piano and violin op.12 played with the rarest perfection; the wonderful Adagio was especially effective. Laub’s solo performances of the ‘Chiaccone [Chaconne from Partita no.2]’ by Bach, the Tarantella by Vieuxtemps, and the self-composed Elegie, in which we find a number of very successful passages, gained incredible success through the both the grandiose technique as well as the inspired playing of the virtuoso. Now would be the ideal time to surprise [Prague’s] music lovers with a delectation, namely to hear Mr Laub in the performance of a major concert piece with orchestral accompaniment, for which the Theatre would be appropriate as a suitable venue. The solo pieces Mr Graf played, Notturno, Saltarella, Reverie, and Gazelle, were all of his own composition. A extraordinarily fresh aura is evident in them; based on a solid core, all elements of melodic embellishment unite to form a beautiful and characteristic whole, the performance of which necessitates not only sheer mechanical skill but also taste, elegance, and imagination in execution. The preferable arena for these piano works is the salon; in all his recitals our well-known pianist presents himself as fastidious artist in this sphere. An interesting phenomena was Miss Matthias, a young and talented lady who has studied singing with the best foreign masters, and who distinguished herself as a salon singer through her very accurate and elegant performance of three songs. Mr Reichel also supported the concert-giver through the performance of two Czech songs by Laub and one song by Esser.’

A brief review, signed ‘V.’, was published by Bohemia 19/3/1857 announcing that a more detailed account of this concert would be published in the next day’s issue of the newspaper. The correspondent reported that the event included the ‘appearance of Miss Mathias „from Paris“. The singer gave a composition with French text after the Vespers by Verdi, and two German Lieder, of which the deeply expressive one by Lindblat [Lindblad] had to be repeated. Miss Mathias has a - if not great - luxuriant yet rather very pleasant, sympathetic voice. For the concert hall she is well-suited, with a manifestly splendid technique, technical accuracy that wants for little. The coloratura is light and tasteful, the performance not without expression and effect. The not infrequent vibrato is a characteristic of her schooling, [but] if the piquant rise in pitch at the end of the very pretty and long trills is too, we know not.’ She was commended upon her début and it was thought that she could look forward to a promising career. A detailed review, also signed by ‘V.’, was published in Bohemia 20/3/1857. This commented in depth about the playing by Graf and Laub, and about the singer Reichel.

An unsigned review was published by Tagesbote aus Böhmen  19/3/1857. The correspondent reported that: ‘The second concert soirée given by Mr Laub and Mr Graf was far better attended, and just as animated, as the first. The two artists performed together in Beethoven’s Sonata op.12 in D (the first of the three ‘Salieri’ sonatas) with equal thoroughness and virtuosity. In particular the graceful variations were executed with a masterful technique in both parts, showing complete command of the exceptional difficulties presented to the performers, and performed with the greatest fidelity to all of the nuances of the work that are considered outstanding. More brilliant still was Laub in the Chaconne by Bach, the original version of which was entirely unaccompanied. His powerful, clear line through the polyphonic section and his truly classical calm and security is truly great. Laub’s last double number was his Elegie - on this we shall withhold judgment for the time being as it is newly being published by Christophe und Kuhé - and Vieuxtemps’ Tarantella, performed by Laub to breathtakingly fiery effect. Mr Graf took the piano part in both these pieces; in the Elegie mostly ripieno in character, but in the Tarantella the rapidity and precision called for by the pianist is almost as exciting as that of the violin part. Our esteemed pianist seemed to us to be calmer and less inhibited than in the first soirée, and his performance consequently had a still finer polish. He played four salon pieces of his own composition each of which was most beautiful in conception and solid in form, which following lively demands [by the audience] he encored with his idyll Prés de la Fontaine. The animated atmosphere created by the brilliant success of the pair was further heightened by an equally favourable third person: Miss Elisabeth Mathias from Paris, whom we met for the first time this evening and whose presence was auspicious. She is an interesting singer, a favourite pupil of the famous Duprez and the clearest proof of the superiority of the French school over the Italian. Founded on a very large and agile voice, her training is the finest and most surely effective of any that has come to us in many years; her incredibly prolonged trill is exceptionally rounded and smooth. The elegance of her method came to the fore in a Siciliana from Verdi’s Vesper, one of those least emancipated from the stereotype of composition piquantly in the style of opéra comique. By contrast, the young lady demonstrated in two Lieder a rich fund of feeling that covers the entire range of musical expression, especially in Pauer’s Wiederfinden, whereas [her performance of] Lindblad’s Werbung showed all the light, unaffected charm that the song contains. The success of the singer was already decided after the brilliant Siciliana; after the two Lieder, the applause was so sustained that she was forced to repeat last verse of the second. The appearance [in the local Theatre] of this artistically significant singer would surely come as a rescue for the miserable state of our opera. The attention of the audience was held no less by Mr Reichel’s Lieder performances. With the full sound of his beautiful voice and an emotional expression he sang a song by Esser and Laub’s charming Minka a včely, to which he added an interesting little Polish song as an encore after repeated curtain calls.

The content of the programme was confirmed by the reviews published by Bohemia and Tagesbote aus Böhmen. From the programme published by Mercy’s Anzeiger 17/3/1861 the work by Halévy was not performed by Reichel but instead included a song by Esser and Laub’s Minka a včely. Graf played La fontaine as an encore.