A Cartoon of Mahler

Working paper:

Mahler in Teplitz-Schönau, 1908–1931

Fig. 1

Johannes Reichert and the Teplitzer Kurorchester

Fig. 2

Stadttheater, Teplitz

This was built in 1873 and seated 1000; it was destroyed by fire in 1919.

Date	Event	Work	Conductor	Soloist	Town	Venue	Notes
02.iv.1908	Philharmonische Konzert, 6	Symphony No. 4	Reichert	Olga Barco	Teplitz	Stadttheater	Local premère
29.v. 1908	Symphonie-Konzert	Symphony No. 4	Reichert		Teplitz	?	Mvts 1-3
08.vii.1910	Symphonie-Konzert	Symphony No. 4	[Reichert]		Teplitz	?	Mvts 1-3
15.vii.1910	Symphonie-Konzert	Symphony No. 4	[Reichert]		Teplitz	?	Mvts 1-3
20.i.1911	Philharmonische Konzert, 4	Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen	Reichert	Franz Steiner (bar)	Teplitz	[Stadttheater]
17.iii.1911		Symphony No. 4	Reichert	Lucie Boennecken	Prague	Rudolfinium	Local première
09.vi.1911	Symphoniekonzert, 4	Symphony No. 4	Reichert		Teplitz	Kurgarten	Mvts 1-3
16.ii.1912	Philharmonische Konzert, 5	Symphony No. 5	Reichert		Teplitz	Stadttheater	Local premère
03.iv.1912	Symphoniekonzert¹	Symphony No. 4	Reichert	Elisa Stünzner	Aussig	Stadttheater	Local première
12.ix.1912	Symphonie-Konzert	Symphony No. 4	Reichert		Teplitz	Kurgarten	Mvts 1-3
25.ix.1912	²	Symphony No. 4	Reichert	?	Dresden	?
09.iv.1913	Symphoniekonzert	Symphony No. 5	Reichert		Teplitz	Neptun-Saal	Adagietto only
01.viii.1913	Symphonie-Konzert	Symphony No. 5	[Reichert]		Teplitz	Kurgarten	Adagietto only
08.viii.1913	Symphonie-Konzert, 14	Symphony No. 4	[Reichert]		Teplitz	Kurgarten	Mvts 1-3
20.xii.1913	Philharmonische Konzert, 1	Rheinlegendchen	Reichert	Hermann Gürtler (ten)	Teplitz	Stadttheater
08.ix.1916	Sinfonie-Konzert	Die drei Pintos: Entr’acte	Reichert		Teplitz	Kurgarten
18.ix.1917	Philharmonische Konzert	Symphony No. 5	Reichert		Aussig	Stadttheater	Adagietto only
06.ix.1918	Sinfonie-Konzert	Symphony No. 5	Reichert		Teplitz	Kurgarten	Adagietto only

		1 Concert was organised by the Verein für Kunstpflege in Aussig; the orchestra was expanded to 55.
		2 The orchestra again numbered 55

Table 1

Works by Mahler performed by the Teplitz Kurorchester, 1908–1918

Reichert's successor (1922–1938) was O.K. Wille (1876–1962), who had served as the Music Master of the Marine Band based at Tsingtau (Quingdao) in China 1903–1914. This ensemble was sizeable (about 50 players towards the end of his tenure) and could function as a military band, or as a medium-sized symphony orchestra. In the latter formation it gave numerous concerts in China, one of which (in December 1907) included what was probably the first performance there of music by Mahler: 'Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen'. Following his appointment at Teplitz-Schönau, Wille took more works by Mahler into his repertoire and included them in the series of philharmonic concerts:

Year/Season	Work
1922/23	Kindertotenlieder
	Symphony No. 4
	Symphony No. 6
1924/25	Das Lied von der Erde
1925	Symphony No. 1
1928	Symphony No. 2
1931	Symphony No. 9

Table 2

Works by Mahler performed by the Teplitz Kurorchester, 1922/3–1931

For further details of Wille's career, see the essay Mahler in China (1907).

Greyscale facsimile of a postcard showing the terrace of the Theatre View of the rebuilt Stadttheater, showing the main entrance

A view from the Kurgarten with the Stadttheater in the background.
Figs 3a-c
Three postcards of the rebuilt Stadtheater (1924) showing
a) the terrace, b) main entrance
c) a view from the Kurgarten.
The main auditorium had seating for 1127, the Kammerspiel for 463.