in of inferior
accomplishments with the loss of his invaluable originality. But, as
we have seen, the affair came to nothing, Chopin ceasing to attend the
classes after a few visits. What no doubt influenced his final decision
more than the advice of his friends was the success which his playing
and compositions met with at the concert of which I have now to tell the
history. Chopin's desertion as a pupil did not terminate the friendly
relation that existed between the two artists. When Chopin published
his E minor Concerto he dedicated it to Kalkbrenner, and the latter soon
after composed "Variations brillantes (Op. 120) pour le piano sur une
Mazourka de Chopin," and often improvised on his young brother-artist's
mazurkas. Chopin's friendship with Camille Pleyel helped no doubt to
keep up his intercourse with Kalkbrenner, who was a partner of the firm
of Pleyel & Co.

The arrangements for his concert gave Chopin much trouble, and had they
not been taken in hand by Paer, Kalkbrenner, and especially Norblin, he
would not have been able to do anything in Paris, where one required at
least two months to get up a concert. This is what Chopin tells Elsner
in the letter dated December 14, 1831. Notwithstanding such powerful
assistance he did not succeed in giving his concert on the 25th of
December, as he at first intended. The difficulty was to find a lady
vocalist. Rossini, the director of the Italian Opera, was willing to
help him, but Robert, the second director, refused to give permission
to any of the singers in his company to perform at the concert, fearing
that, if he did so once, there would be no end of applications. As
Veron, the director of the Academie Royale likewise refused Chopin's
request, the concert had to be put off till the 15th of January, 1832,
when, however, on account of Kalkbrenner's illness or for some other
reason, it had again to be postponed. At last it came off on February
26, 1832. Chopin writes on December 16, 1831, about the arrangements for
the concert:--

Baillot, the rival of Paganini, and Brod, the celebrated oboe-
player, will assist me with their talent. I intend to play my
F minor Concerto and the Variations in B flat...I shall play
not only the concerto and the variations, but also with
Kalkbrenner his duet "Marche suivie d'une Polonaise" for two
pianos, with the accompaniment of four others. Is this not an
altogether mad idea? One of the grand pianos is very la