• unspecified chorus: participating ensemble
• HELLER, Ferdinand: director of ensemble

At 7pm. The original announcement published by Dalibor 1/2/1861 listed the intended dates for this series of six musical soirées as 16/2, 23/2, 2/3, 9/3, 17/3 and 23/3/1861 (see below), and invited those ‘young musical artists and singers’ who wished to participate to apply to the editor of Dalibor, Emanuel Meliš. As had previously been the case with these evening entertainments arranged by Meliš, the subsequent review that was published by Dalibor was reproduced from the German periodical Prager Morgenpost 20/1/1861. The first soirée seems to have been a success; Prager Morgenpost commenting favourably upon the various works given and enthusing about the standards of performance.

The Národní listy 13/2/1861 report announced that the previous series of ‘humorous and musical soirées’ arranged by Meliš had gained ‘great favour’, and noted that Meliš was arranging six more such productions during the Lenten period. A detailed programme to the first soirée was then published by NL 16/2/1861, listing the works in concert order, and noting that the admission fee was 30kr. This programme agreed with the subsequent Dalibor/Morgenpost review, excepting that the two songs by Škroup replaced two songs by Kašper Pivoda (Anička and Svorný duch) that according to Národní listy were to be sung by the Prague teacher, critic, singer and composer František Pivoda. The reason for this programme alteration was not stated by Dalibor, neither did the Dalibor/Morgenpost review give any indication as to whether or not František Pivoda was actually present at this soirée. In view of these alterations, the programme reproduced herein is therefore given in order corresponding with the Národní listy 16/2/1861 report, but includes additional updated details from the Dalibor review.

Subsequent productions in this series of soirées specifically arranged by Meliš seem not to have taken place. Národní listy 23/2/1861 included a report that the soirée due to be given that evening had been cancelled ‘owing to unforeseen circumstances.’ Although this report stated that the next soirée would take place ‘next Saturday’, i.e. on 2/3/1861, the event seems not to have occurred. No further reports or reviews of these productions sponsored by Meliš appeared in the periodicals Národní listy, Dalibor or Lumír. Previous series of these events arranged by Meliš had been co-organized by the Prague actor and comedian Heřmann Přerhof. On 20th February 1861 Přerhof began his own independent series of events, possibly indicating the Meliš and the actor had had some kind of disagreement. This is suggested too by the fact that none of the events given during February and March 1861 by Přerhof were reviewed by Meliš’s music periodical Dalibor.