e the wished-for contrasts; it is for this reason that
one does not miss the orchestral-like effects which the German
school demands from a pianoforte-player, but allows one's self
to be carried away, as by a singer who, little concerned about
the accompaniment, entirely follows his feeling. In short, he
is an unicum in the world of pianists. He declares that he
loves my music very much, and at all events he knows it very
well. He played me some studies and his latest work, the
"Preludes," and I played him many of my compositions.

In addition to this characterisation of the artist Chopin, Moscheles'
notes afford us also some glimpses of the man. "Chopin was lively,
merry, nay, exceedingly comical in his imitations of Pixis, Liszt, and a
hunchbacked pianoforte-player." Some days afterwards, when Moscheles saw
him at his own house, he found him an altogether different Chopin:--

I called on him according to agreement with Ch. and E., who
are also quite enthusiastic about him, and who were
particularly struck with the "Prelude" in A flat major in 6/8
time with the ever-recurring pedal A flat. Only the Countess
O. [Obreskoff] from St. Petersburg, who adores us artists en
bloc, was there, and some gentlemen. Chopin's excellent pupil
Gutmann played his master's manuscript Scherzo in C sharp
minor. Chopin himself played his manuscript Sonata in B flat
minor with the Funeral March.

Gutmann relates that Chopin sent for him early in the morning of the
day following that on which he paid the above-mentioned visit to George
Sand, and said to him:--

Pardon me for disturbing you so early in the morning, but I
have just received a note from Moscheles, wherein he expresses
his joy at my return to Paris, and announces that he will
visit me at five in the afternoon to hear my new compositions.
Now I am unfortunately too weak to play my things to him; so
you must play. I am chiefly concerned about this Scherzo.

Gutmann, who did not yet know the work (Op. 39), thereupon sat down at
Chopin's piano, and by dint of hard practising managed to play it at
the appointed hour from memory, and to the satisfaction of the composer.
Gutmann's account does not tally in several of its details with
Moscheles'. As, however, Moscheles does not give us reminiscences, but
sober, business-like notes taken down at the time they refer to, and
without any attempt at making a nice story, he is the safer auth