The travellers arrived at Warsaw October 6 after staying a few days in Posen where the Prince Radziwill lived; here Chopin played in private.  This prince-composer, despite what Liszt wrote, did not contribute a penny to the youth’s musical education, though he always treated him in a sympathetic manner.

Hummel and Paganini visited Warsaw in 1829.  The former he met and admired, the latter he worshipped.  This year may have seen the composition, if not the publication of the “Souvenir de Paganini,” said to be in the key of A major and first published in the supplement of the “Warsaw Echo Muzyczne.”  Niecks writes that he never saw a copy of this rare composition.  Paderewski tells me he has the piece and that it is weak, having historic interest only.  I cannot find much about the Polish poet, Julius Slowacki, who died the same year, 1849, as Edgar Allan Poe.  Tarnowski declares him to have been Chopin’s warmest friend and in his poetry a starting point of inspiration for the composer.

In July 1829, accompanied by two friends, Chopin started for Vienna.  Travelling in a delightful, old-fashioned manner, the party saw much of the country—­Galicia, Upper Silesia and Moravia--the Polish Switzerland.  On July 31 they arrived in the Austrian capital.  Then Chopin first began to enjoy an artistic atmosphere, to live less parochially.  His home life, sweet and tranquil as it was, could not fail to hurt him as artist; he was flattered and coddled and doubtless the touch of effeminacy in his person was fostered.  In Vienna the life was gayer, freer and infinitely more artistic than in Warsaw.  He met every one worth knowing in the artistic world and his letters at that period are positively brimming over with gossip and pen pictures of the people he knew.  The little drop of malice he injects into his descriptions of the personages he encounters is harmless enough and proves that the young man had considerable wit.  Count Gallenberg, the lessee of the famous Karnthnerthor Theatre, was kind to him, and the publisher Haslinger treated him politely.  He had brought with him his variations on “La ci darem la mano”; altogether the times seemed propitious and much more so when he was urged to give a concert.  Persuaded to overcome a natural timidity, he made his Vienna debut at this theatre August 11, 1829, playing on a Stein piano his Variations, opus 2.  His Krakowiak Rondo had been announced, but the parts were not legible, so instead he improvised.  He had success, being recalled, and his improvisation on the Polish tune called “Chmiel” and a theme from “La Dame Blanche” stirred up much enthusiasm in which a grumbling orchestra joined.  The press was favorable, though Chopin’s playing was considered rather light in weight.  His style was admired and voted original—­here the critics could see through the millstone—­while a lady remarked “It’s a pity his appearance is so insignificant.”  This reached the composer’s ear and caused him an evil quarter of an hour for he was morbidly sensitive; but being, like most Poles, secretive, managed to hide it.