The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-12

ENREDERIC CHOPIN had neither the literary aptitude nor the general ! culture of Felix Mendelssohn- Bar tholdy, and his letters, first given to the world by Moritz Karazowski in 1877, do not make such capital reading as do those Of the German composer. The graceful sentences that are like swallow flights across the pages of Felix, his wit and wisdom, are not to be found in the Chopin correspondence. Nevertheless shy charm exhaes from the often awkward communications sent by the great Pole to his family and friends at Warsaw. In 1928 the young pianist went to Berlin in company with Professor Jarocki. and there attended the naturalists' congress, where he met the mighty Alexander von Humboldt. His letter telling of Berlin of that time was addressed to his school friend in Warsaw, Titus Woyciechowsky, and is reproduced in the Karazowski vol- ume, as are his Viennese letters. So it is with more than passing interest that we read several new letters unearthed few months ago in Warsaw and trans lated into German. It is related that Chopin would walk half way across Paris rather than write a letter, the bulk of his correspondence is not large, although many letters addressed to his family were destroyed during the pillage of Warsaw by the Russians. The length of the newly discovered missves must be set down to the effervescence of his youth. In them Chopin is foreshadowed; caressing. sarcastic, sprightly. fattering. slightly peevish, jealous and full of love for his parents and his native land.
 July 1, 1929, Chopin entered the Austrian capital Vienna at that time prided it. self on being the capital of the musical world. It made much bother over the dead Beethoven, after fiouting him dur ing his unhappy life, and there were al- ready some amateurs to be found who mentioned the songs of a. certain Franz Schubert by name; but music was caviare to the general. Chopin had some letters of introduction, among others to the Ka- pellmeister Wurfel who had lived in Warsaw and was a friend of Chopin's preceptors, Zwyng and Joseph Elsner, not to speak of the composers father. In a lengthy letter to his bosom friend Titus Chopin relates how he played at Count Gallenberg's and thus was enabled to play ir public at the Imperial Opera House August 1, 1929, was the precise date.) Haslinger, the musical publisher, unbent, and no less than three piano manufact- urers appeared on the scene offering the use of their instruments to the virtuoso in embryo, the report of whose abilities had quickly spread. But Frederic had only a small room on the Kohlmarkt and was forced to decline. Time brings changes, but the psychology of the piano maker does not alter He did not prac- tice for his debut. feeling sure of his fingers At the rehearsal, he tells Titus, everything was at sixes and sevens with tine orchestra. Disliking their leader, Wurfel; suspicious of the unknown Pole, the men mixed things up badly In the accompaniment to Chopins "Rondo Kra- kowiak''; so badly indeed that Count Gal lenberg, the impresario, advised Chopin to cut out the "Rondo" and, instead, im- provise Thereat, adds Chopin, the or chestra members made "big eyes They had heard Beethoven and Hummel inn provise; this slim youngster of 20 must
 
 fore the carping Vienna public.
 Chopin knew what he was about. He began with his Variations op. g. on a theme from "Don Juan" c'La ci darem la mano," over which Schumann later waxed enthusiastic, crying, Hats off, gentlemen! A genius!) accompanied by the band, which after all must not be blamed for failing to read at first sight Chopin's grabbed handwriting. A Frau lein veltheim GS21-1S40), famous for her bravura singing, followed; then Chopin, facing now sympathetic audience. iM- provised. Oddly enough, he does not In this letter to Titus mention the themes he selected for improvisation. But his
 tory can supply the omission. La Dame Blanche" by the French composer Boiel-
 dieu, whose statue may be found at
 Rouen (why. the gods alone know) was
 the first theme and Polish melody,
 "Chmiel." the second ('Chmiel'' is song l in the mazurka measure, sung by the
 Poles at marriage ceremonies at the mo-
 n,ent when the brides sister places the can on her head) After this the pianist
 modestly reports that his hearers seemed
 nlease and that he had to return to bnw his thanks As matter of fact he re-
 oe;ved A Padereswski- ovation. ana tired himself acknowledging the
 stormy applause. The orchestra, con
 .ra~x to its custom, had remained for the
 ,,,,,rovisation and was more enthusiastic
 man the public The puzzling mixture of honey and a'a'Ht7N 1T ''" n"vF '''''~'~ | could not dis, is f>iN iH'h
 scianship of t .iS eF'af
 I ma literally ss 4 sls tt
 among the n ls.t1i coeaiei a itflls