ss in music the poetry of the
aristocratic salon." Liszt ever remained a true and admiring friend of
the Pole, and wrote the poetic study sketch of him in 1849.

Liszt was now twenty-three. Broadened and chastened by all he had
passed through, he resumed his playing in aristocratic homes. He also
appeared in public and was found to be quite a different artist from
what the Parisians had previously known. His bold new harmonies in
his own compositions, the rich effects, showed a deep knowledge of
his art. He had transcribed a number of Berlioz's most striking
compositions to the piano and performed them with great effect.

The handsome and gifted young artist was everywhere the object of
admiration. He also met George Sand, and was soon numbered among that
wonderful and dangerous woman's best friends. Later he met the young
and beautiful Countess Laprunarede, and a mutual attraction ensued.
The elderly Count, her husband, pleased with the dashing young
musician, invited him to spend the winter at his chateau, in
Switzerland, where the witty Countess virtually kept him prisoner.

The following winter, 1833-34, when the salons opened again, Liszt
frequented them as before. He was in the bloom of youth and fame, when
he met the woman who was to be linked with his destiny for the next
ten years.

We have sketched the childhood and youth of this wonderful artist up
to this point. We will pass lightly over this decade of his career,
merely stating briefly that the lady--the beautiful Countess d'Agoult,
captivated by the brilliant talents of the Hungarian virtuoso, left
her husband and child, and became for ten years the faithful companion
of his travels and tours over Europe. Many writers agree that Liszt
endeavored to dissuade her from this attraction, and behaved as
honorably as he could under the circumstances. A part of the time
they lived in Switzerland, and it was there that many of Liszt's
compositions were written.

Of their three children, the boy died very young. Of the girls,
Blandine became the wife of Emile Ollivier, a French literary man and
statesman. Her sister, Cosima, married first Hans von Buelow and later
Richard Wagner.

In 1843 Liszt intended to take Madame with him to Russia, but instead,
left her and her children in Paris, with his mother, as the Countess
was in failing health. His first concert, in St. Petersburg, realized
the enormous sum of fifty thousand francs--ten thousand dollars.
Instead