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Event title:

Farewell concert given by the violinist Jean Becker and singer J. Monari-Rocca

Venue: Konvikt

Event type: Art music culture

Date: 16/12/1861 5pm

Season: Advent

Keywords: Foreign musicians in Prague, Genres - Chamber music, Genres - Secular solo vocal music, Genres - Solo and concertante instrumental music, Public performance events

Programme comprising, part 1:

MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix : Octet for strings, 4vl, 2va, 2vc, E-flat major, op.20
• Becker, Jean : vl Poznánsky, Johann : vl Brückner, Franz : Wittig, ? : Weber, Jan : va Schmit, Alex : vc Schmitt, ? : Bauer, Vilém :

DONIZETTI, Gaetano : unspecified duet, 2vv, [orch / pf?]
• Brenner, Johanna : v Monari-Rocca, Jean : v

LISZT, Franz : Paraphrase on themes from Verdi's opera Ernani, pf, S432
• Čermáková, Vilemína : pf

BACH, Johann Sebastian : Chaconne from Partita no.2 for solo violin, vl, D minor, BWV1004
• Becker, Jean : vl

DONIZETTI, Gaetano : unspecified Romanze, v, [orch / pf acc?]
• Monari-Rocca, Jean : v

MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus : aria Madamina, il catalogo è questo from act 1 of opera Don Giovanni, v, orch, K527
• Monari-Rocca, Jean : v

Part 2:

BECKER, Jean : Allegretto for violin and piano, vl, pf, G minor
• Becker, Jean : vl

BECKER, Jean : Violin piece Le Beille de Roces, vl, pf
• Becker, Jean : vl

MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus : aria Crudele? Ah no! mio bene! act 2 of opera [drama giocoso] Don Giovanni, v, orch, F major, K527
• Brenner, Johanna : v

ROSSINI, Gioachino Antonio : aria Largo al factotum from act 1 of opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia, v, orch
• Monari-Rocca, Jean : v

Commentary:

Detailed advance news of this concert was published by Prager Morgenpost 16/12/1861 in a report that noted the date, time, venue, participating soloists and the programme in performance order for the event. Becker and Monari-Rocca evidently decided to give a third and final public concert in Prague just after their concert given in the Konvikt Hall on 12th December that had already been widely billed in the local press as their ‘second and final concert’. On 14th December Prager Morgenpost had announced that because Becker had postponed his departure from Prague for a day, their final concert would not take place on Sunday [15th] at noon but on Monday at 5pm.

The exact rôles of the performers specified by the Prager Morgenpost 16/12/1861 report as playing in Mendelssohn’s Octet cannot be identified. The principal violin part was undoubtedly taken by Becker. Poznánský as a leading local violinist most likely also took a violin part. Jan Weber and Bauer most likely played violas. To open the second part of the concert a declamation was performed by Miss von Schulzendorf.

Summary of sources:

Prager Morgenpost (14/12/1861)
Prager Morgenpost (16/12/1861)