ent that the Nocturnes of
Field were regarded by Chopin as "insuffisants" seems to me disproved
by unexceptionable evidence. Chopin schooled his pupils most assiduously
and carefully in the Nocturnes as well as in the Concertos of Field, who
was, to use Madame Dubois's words, "an author very sympathetic to
him." Mikuli relates that Chopin had a predilection for Field's A flat
Concerto and the Nocturnes, and that, when playing the latter, he used
to improvise the most charming embellishments. To take liberties with
another artist's works and complain when another artist takes liberties
with your own works is very inconsistent, is it not? But it is also
thoroughly human, and Chopin was not exempt from the common failing. One
day when Liszt did with some composition of Chopin's what the latter was
in the habit of doing with Field's Nocturnes, the enraged composer
is said to have told his friend to play his compositions as they were
written or to let them alone. M. Marmontel writes:--

Either from a profound love of the art or from an excess of
conscience personelle, Chopin could not bear any one to touch
the text of his works. The slightest modification seemed to
him a grave fault which he did not even forgive his intimate
friends, his fervent admirers, Liszt not excepted. I have many
a time, as well as my master, Zimmermann, caused Chopin's
sonatas, concertos, ballades, and allegros to be played as
examination pieces; but restricted as I was to a fragment of
the work, I was pained by the thought of hurting the composer,
who considered these alterations a veritable sacrilege.

This, however, is a digression. Little need be added to what has already
been said in another chapter of the third composer of the group we were
speaking of. Chopin, the reader will remember, told Moscheles that he
loved his music, and Moscheles admitted that he who thus complimented
him was intimately acquainted with it. From Mikuli we learn that
Moscheles' studies were very sympathetic to his master. As to Moscheles'
duets, they were played by Chopin probably more frequently than the
works of any other composer, excepting of course his own works. We hear
of his playing them not only with his pupils, but with Osborne, with
Moscheles himself, and with Liszt, who told me that Chopin was fond of
playing with him the duets of Moscheles and Hummel.

Speaking of playing duets reminds me of Schubert, who, Gutmann informed
me, was a f