• Cecilia Society: participating institution, vv, orch

Prager Morgenpost 19/3/1862 reported that ‘The 3rd concert of the Cecilia Society, which takes place on 22nd March at 4.30pm in the hall on Žofín Island presents the following programme...’ After listing the programme the source specified the soloists as well as noting that the narrative to Lucifer was spoken by Mr Fischer.

A review, signed ‘!!’, was published by Prager Zeitung 23/3/1862. The correspondent remarked that ‘In the third and final concert of its 22nd year the Cecilia Society once again surprised us with a novelty: namely „Lucifer“, a tragedy with chorus after the Dutch original by J. van Bondel, set into music by J.A. van Eyken. The writer works here in a somewhat strange form, which he terms tragedy, with the fate of the Fallen Angel.’ After describing the subjective content of these five acts the correspondent notes how the play is put together with an active chorus part both outlining and commenting upon the story in the manner of the rôle of the chorus in ancient tragedy. From this the composer is thought to have fashioned a ‘secular oratorio en miniature... Nowhere is the music magnificent, not exceptional and not of particularly unbounded freshness.In the melodies no flashes of genius, the harmony is simple...’ Simplicity of working tonality is noted in the Overture in the utilization of C minor contrasted with E-flat major. Rythmically the work is considered at times to be reminiscent of Handel, and the orchestration ‘traditional.’ The most positive attributes of the piece were considered to be the recurring first theme of the Overture appearing in the closing movement, the introduction to the fifth act, the solo aria numbers, the fugue ‘Preis und Ehre’ and the closing chorale. ‘The performance was a success. The solo parts were taken by Miss Blažek [Blažková], Mrs Prochazka [Schmidt-Procházková] and Mr Kren, the declamation was performed by Mr Fischer. Before this composition Mrs Prochazka sang with her customary practice an aria from Mendelssohn’s „Elias“. The concert commenced with the charming Overture in C major (op.24) by Mendelssohn.’