• Military Music Institute: participating institution, soloists
• unspecified combined military music orchestras: participating ensemble
• PAVLIS, Jan: director of institute, conductor

Prager Morgenpost 28/6/1862 published in the section of Daily News: ‘Koncert. Today at 5pm takes place on the Žofín Island the concert of the Society for the Training of Military Music.’ No further details of the event were related by this report.

According to the various Národní listy and Dalibor reports, this concert was postponed a number of times owing to poor weather, having been scheduled to occur on 14/6/1862, 16/6/1862, 21/6/1862 and 23/6/1862. The Dalibor 10/7/1862 review, signed ‘-t-’, reported that the production gained ‘a very favourable success. Mr Pavlis, director of the school, again demonstrated with this concert how quickly his pupils prosper and how greatly it matters for the pupils to be guided by an excellent method.’ The four military music school pupils performing in the production, Josef Strejc, Fr. Dolenský, [V.E.] Svoboda and V.E. Jirkovský ‘demonstrated extraordinary ability on their instruments, pretty rounded tone and really very good execution.’

The programme is reproduced in performance order according to the Národí listy 13/6/1862 report, with additional details included from the Dalibor 10/7/1862, Bohemia 1/7/1862 and Prager Zeitung 3/7/1862 reviews. Performing were four military bands resident in Prague, playing between them a total of 16 works. Dalibor 10/6/1862 related that the programme was to include D.F.E. Auber’s Overture to his opera La sirène, and that Miss Johanna Brennerová was to appear in the concert. However, these details were not mentioned by any subsequent periodical reports. According to the Dalibor review, the audience was not as large as might usually be expected for a production arranged by Jan Pavlis.

A review, signed ‘a-a.’, of this event was published bu Lumír 3/7/1862. The correspondent reported that the ‘Concert of the Society for Training Musicians took place following several postponements on 28th June on Žofín Island. I believe that it is pointless to mention the activities of the society or give an account of the merits of the director Mr Pavlis, for the ensemble of musicians in the military comprise for the most part Czechs. This concert again testified to the good training being given under the excellent direction of Mr Pavlis, the variety of works and interest in the well-chosen programme surpassing many other similar entertainments. The ensemble playing as well as the accuracy of performance was evidence of the energetic endeavours of the Director and earned him great applause from the audience. However, the pupils of the Society excelled not only in the band but also in solo numbers with their clean and accurate playing of various quite awkward and concertante compositions; it being particularly fitting to mention the soloists: F. Dolenský, V Svoboda, V. Jírkovský and others. With typical artistry Miss Zavišanka [Zawiszanka] tenderly sang some songs; Mr Lukes also performed with feeling. Following the concert four different bands performed individually and together different dance pieces and overtures. The entertainment, which even the weather this time in full measure favoured, was very lively and pleasant.’ The second sentence obviously noted how military musicians were mostly of Czech origin and therefore were naturally excellent in their vocation and good students of the Military Music Institute.

Bohemia 1/7/1862 published a review of this event titled ‘Concert of the Society for Training in Military Music.’ The critic, signed ‘V.’, began his report by noting humerously that following a week of bad weather across the Bohemian lands, Jupiter had at last brought a return to typical June weather on the Saturday [27/6/1862], allowing this event to go ahead. ‘The programme in the Hall in ensemble numbers contained in addition to an Overture by Suppé, played by the augmented string orchestra of the combined bands, a „Fakeltanz“ by Meyerbeer for the Princess Royal arranged by Pavlis for brass instruments and performed by the combined pupils of the Institute. The sonority and power from over twenty wind instruments blown with youthful vigour was excessive for the venue’s acoustic. However the latter item was of particular interest, an arrangement, conceived with genius and with the astonishing fluency of the hand of a master, of Meyerbeer’s composition, that was performed with a precision and accuracy... [matched by] clarity and the greatest possible nuance.’ Of the soloists from the Institute the flügelhorn player Strebinger was complimented by the critic for his tone and technical mastery, demonstrating a particular talent especially given that he had only been a pupil of the School for one year. After noting briefly the other soloists, the review concluded by reporting that the concert given in the Žofín Hall was followed by ‘a great production in the Garden, in which participated the combined ensembles of the military bands garisoned here [in Prague]. The programme [to this Garden performance] was made up of 16 numbers, Overtures, opera arrangements, potpourris, marches and dances of the most diverse types.’