• Prague Conservatory: participating institution, orch
• KITTL, Jan Bedřich: director of institute, conductor

Prager Morgenpost 9/4/1862 published an advance report of this event, noting its date, time, venue and the programme and participating soloists in performance order. Interestingly, the venue was followed by an exclamation mark, reflecting perhaps criticism levelled at the Conservatory at this time for holding concerts in the poor acoustic of the Estates Theatre. A detailed review, signed ‘-ý’, of the concert was published by Prager Morgenpost 12/4/1862.

The Dalibor 1/5/1862 review, signed ‘r-r’, enthused about this production, commenting that ‘If the outcome of the first two Conservatory concerts was splendid, it is necessary to note that this third and final concert enjoyed the most magnificent success, and how else could it be when the best forces of the Conservatory were sent into spirited combat. The weighty and grumbling contrabasso, the dexterous and piercing clarinet, and finally the chattering, delicate and sweet violin, they tried their best to surpass one another, and even if the violin and the clarinet succeeded the most favourably in reaching the audience, perhaps... [this was not because they] spoke more meaningfully and expressively to the hearts of the audience, but that their voices are naturally of greater resonance, sweetness and agility than that of the contrabasso. However... in the able hands of J. Sládek this time the contrabasso performed... so irreproachably, so sonorously and so clearly, that each note was understood. We marvelled in particular at the surety and feeling demonstrated by the youthful Sládek in his performance of this difficult piece; it was plain to see that he is attached with true love to the contrabasso and that that is in part [attributable to] the excellent method of Professor Hrabě who in teaching this instrument has no rival.’

The ‘promising’ clarinettist Josef Mráz gave an expressive performance of Reißiger’s ‘interesting and effective’ Fantasie, surprising the audience with his ‘astonishing’ technical ability. His playing was characterized by a ‘sonorous and rounded tone, even crescendo and decrescendo and appropriate breathing.’ His teacher, Pisařovic, was congratulated by the critic ‘for so excellent a pupil, who, if he will continue assiduously in his studies, is guaranteed a fine future.’ The ‘talented’ violinist, Kopta, ‘created the greatest sensation... So far his storming technical skill is, I believe, remarkable, his bowing is energetic and decisive, his tone is quite great and his execution and performance of all passages is clean. If in feeling V. Kopta acquires greater ardour and profundity, we are sure that the name of Kopta will shine among the most famous violinists. That the student must thank the thorough method of Mr Mildner for this, it is not necessary to add. All the pupils received vigorous applause and approbation and were many times [curtain-]called with their Professors. In addition we heard the pupil of the opera school, Miss Marie Pisařovicová, who performed the very difficult aria ‘Ah! perfido’ and was several times loudly [curtain-]called.’ The orchestral items, Beethoven’s D major symphony and Veit’s ‘charming’ overture were given ‘precisely and [with] nuance.’ The scena and aria Ah! perfido was composed by Beethoven for the Prague Estates Theatre in 1795-6.

Finally, the review protested against the lack of new works by modern Czech composers appearing in Conservatory concerts. The critic remarked that ‘We know that a certain composer submitted his symphonies a long time ago to Mr Kittl, and that the [Conservatory] director did not take them at all into consideration.’ Aside from Kittl himself three Czech composers, L.E. Měchura, Alois Hnilička and Karel Šebor are each known to have written multiple symphonies during the years leading up to this concert. In this case the unsuccessful applicant to Kittl was most probably Hnilička, news of his activity in this genre having been published in Dalibor 20/1/1859. The shy, detached Měchura would have been unlikely to have permitted the public performance of his symphonies while Šebor, Kittl’s pupil, did have certain of his orchestral works given in Conservatory concerts. The concert review concluded with a further complaint against unspecified Conservatory Professors who declined to permit their pupils to appear in concerts wearing appropriate national costume.

The programme is reproduced in concert order according to the Prager Morgenpost 9/4/1862 and Dalibor 10/4/1862 reports. Josef Sládek, Josef Mráz and Václav Kopta were each admitted to the Prague Conservatory in 1858.