clever but dry mass by Baron
von Miltitz, which was performed under the direction of Morlacchi, and
in which the celebrated violoncello virtuosos Dotzauer and Kummer
played their solos beautifully, and the voices of Sassaroli, Muschetti,
Babnigg, and Zezi were heard to advantage. The theatre was, as usual,
assiduously frequented by Chopin. After the above-mentioned soiree
he hastened to hear at least the last act of "Die Stumme von Portici"
("Masaniello"). Of the performance of Rossini's "Tancredi," which he
witnessed on another evening, he praised only the wonderful violin
playing of Rolla and the singing of Mdlle. Hahnel, a lady from the
Vienna Court Theatre. Rossini's "La Donna del lago," in Italian,
is mentioned among the operas about to be performed. What a strange
anomaly, that in the year 1830 a state of matters such as is indicated
by these names and facts could still obtain in Dresden, one of the
capitals of musical Germany! It is emphatically a curiosity of history.

Chopin, who came to Rolla with a letter of introduction from Soliva,
was received by the Italian violinist with great friendliness. Indeed,
kindness was showered upon him from all sides. Rubini promised him
a letter of introduction to his brother in Milan, Rolla one to the
director of the opera there, and Princess Augusta, the daughter of the
late king, and Princess Maximiliana, the sister-in-law of the reigning
king, provided him with letters for the Queen of Naples, the Duchess of
Lucca, the Vice-Queen of Milan, and Princess Ulasino in Rome. He had
met the princesses and played to them at the house of the Countess
Dobrzycka, Oberhofmeisterin of the Princess Augusta, daughter of the
late king, Frederick Augustus.

The name of the Oberhofmeisterin brings us to the Polish society of
Dresden, into which Chopin seems to have found his way at once. Already
two days after his arrival he writes of a party of Poles with whom he
had dined. At the house of Mdme. Pruszak he made the acquaintance of no
less a person than General Kniaziewicz, who took part in the defence of
Warsaw, commanded the left wing in the battle of Maciejowice (1794),
and joined Napoleon's Polish legion in 1796. Chopin wrote home: "I have
pleased him very much; he said that no pianist had made so agreeable an
impression on him."

To judge from the tone of Chopin's letters, none of all the people he
came in contact with gained his affection in so high a degree as did
Klengel, whom he