injuring the originality and style of his playing. His old friend
and teacher Elsner, kept him from doing this.

The first year in Paris Chopin played at a number of concerts and
functions, with ever increasing success. But in spite of the artistic
success, his finances ran low, and he began to consider a trip to
America. Fortunately he met Prince Radziwill on the street at this
time, and was persuaded to play at a Rothschild soiree in the evening.
From this moment, it is said, his prospects brightened, and he secured
a number of wealthy patrons as pupils. Whether this be true or not, he
came to know many titled personages. One has only to turn the pages of
his music to note how many pieces are dedicated to Princess This and
Countess That. This mode of life was reflected in his music, which
became more elegant and aristocratic.

During the season of 1833 and 1834, Chopin continued to make his way
as composer, pianist and teacher. A letter to friends in Poland, says:
"Frederic looks well and strong; he turns the heads of all the French
women, and makes the men jealous. He is now the fashion."

In the spring of 1834 Chopin had been persuaded by Ferdinand Hiller
to accompany him to Aix-la-Chapelle, to attend the Lower Rhine Music
Festival. Before they started Chopin found he had not the money to go,
as it had been spent or given to some needy countryman. Hiller did not
like to go alone, and asked if his friend could think of no way out of
the dilemma. At last Chopin took the manuscript of the E flat Valse,
Op. 18, went with it to Pleyel the publisher, and returned with five
hundred francs. They could now go and enjoy the trip they had planned.

In July, 1835, Chopin met his parents at Carlsbad, where his father
had been sent by the Warsaw physicians to take the cure. The young
musician, now famous, had not seen his parents in nearly five years,
and the reunion must have been a happy one. From here he went to
Dresden and Leipsic, meeting Schumann and Mendelssohn. Schumann
admired the young Pole greatly and wrote much about him in his musical
magazine. Mendelssohn considered him a "really perfect virtuoso, whose
piano playing was both original and masterly," but he was not sure
whether his compositions were right or wrong. Chopin also stopped
in Heidelberg on the way to Paris, visiting the father of his pupil
Adolph Gutman. He must have been back in Paris about the middle of
October, for the papers mention that "M. Chopi