• Estates Theatre orchestra: participating orchestra

Advance news of this concert was published by Bohemia 6/12/1860 in a brief report announcing that on Sunday at 12 noon takes place in the Žofín Hall the Academy arranged by German students for the benefit of their Reading Room.

Further news of this event was published in identical reports by Der Tagesbote and Bohemia 7/12/1860, noting its date, time, venue, benefitting cause, and listing the programme and participants in performance order.

Der Tagesbote and Bohemia 8/12/1860 both contained an advertisement, also identical in content but differing in type and cosmetic presentation, for this ‘Musical-declamatory Academy.’ This source announced the date and venue of the event, the beneficiary, programme and participating soloists. The advertisement also stated that the grand piano made by Schweighofer belonged to the repository of Jakob Fischer.

A review of this concert, signed ‘E.’, was published by Dalibor 20/12/1860. Although the Dalibor critic referred initially to the ‘interesting’ programme, the periodical’s report was critical of the standard of some of the playing, as well as of some of the compositions. Thus, Hector Berlioz’s ‘magnificent’ Overture Le roi Lear, a work that was ‘particularly distinguished by its characteristic instrumental effects, demanded a different performance for it to have warmed the audience; the performance itself was the reason for the cool [reception of he work by] the numerous listeners. As Mr Mildner [the principal violinist of the orchestra] is ill, the members of the string section themselves do not know how to tune up cleanly.’ Of the two extracts from operas by C.M. von Weber, the review asserted that the duet [scene] from Euryanthe was less effective as a concert item than when given on the stage. However, both works were ‘affably received’ by the audience. The concerto by Spohr was thought ‘not exactly a happy choice’, and Antonín Benevic’s performance was ‘not [. . .] with such polish and feeling as we have often heard from this artist.’ The unspecified piano piece by C.P.E. Bach ‘roused no applause’ from the listeners, and the closing item, a German chorus by Kalivoda, was described simply as being ‘weak’.