r.
Muir Wood relates:--

I was then a comparative stranger in Glasgow, but I was told
that so many private carriages had never been seen at any
concert in the town. In fact, it was the county people who
turned out, with a few of the elite of Glasgow society. Being
a morning concert, the citizens were busy otherwise, and half-
a-guinea was considered too high a sum for their wives and
daughters.

No doubt Chopin's playing and compositions must have been to the good
Glasgow citizens of that day what caviare is to the general. In fact,
Scotland, as regards music, had at that period not yet emerged from its
state of primitive savagery. But if we may believe the learned critic in
the Glasgow Courier, Chopin's matinee was numerously attended, and the
audience, which consisted of "the beauty and fashion, indeed of the
very elite of the West-end," thoroughly enjoyed the playing of the
concert-giver and the singing of Madame Adelasio de Margueritte who
assisted him. I think the reader will be interested by the following
specimen of criticism for more than one reason:--

The performance was certainly of the highest order in point of
musical attainment and artistic skill, and was completely
successful in interesting and delighting everyone present for
an hour and a half. Visited as we now are by the highest
musical talent, by this great player and the other eminent
composer, it must be difficult for each successive candidate
for our patronage and applause to produce in sufficient
quantity that essential element to success--novelty; but M.
Chopin has proved satisfactorily that it is not easy to
estimate the capabilities of the instrument he handles with so
much grace and ingenuity, or limit the skill and power whose
magic touch makes it pour forth its sublime strains to
electrify and delight anew the astonished listener. M.
Chopin's treatment of the pianoforte is peculiar to himself,
and his style blends in beautiful harmony and perfection the
elegant, the picturesque, and the humorous. We cannot at
present descend to practical illustrations in proof of these
observations, but feel persuaded we only express the feelings
of all who attended yesterday when we say that the pianist
produces, without extraordinary effort, not only pleasing, but
new musical delights. Madame Adelasio has a beautiful voice,
which she manages with great ease and occasional brilliancy.
She sa