but always producing beautiful effects.  Thus, to give only one example (for which and much other interesting information I am indebted to Mr. Charles Halle), Chopin played at his last concert in Paris (February, 1848) the two forte passages towards the end of the Barcarole, not as they are printed, but pianissimo and with all sorts of dynamic finesses.  Having possessed himself of the most recondite mysteries of touch, and mastered as no other pianist had done the subtlest gradations of tone, he even then, reduced by disease as he was, did not give the hearer the impression of weakness.  At least this is what Mr. Otto Goldschmidt relates, who likewise was present at this concert.  There can be no doubt that what Chopin aimed at chiefly, or rather, let us say, what his physical constitution permitted him to aim at, was quality not quantity of tone.  A writer in the “Menestrel” (October 21, 1849) remarks that for Chopin, who in this was unlike all other pianists, the piano had always too much tone; and that his constant endeavour was to sentimentalise the timbre, his greatest care to avoid everything which approached the fracas pianistique of the time.

Of course, a true artist’s touch has besides its mechanical also its spiritual aspect.  With regard to this it is impossible to overlook the personal element which pervaded and characterised Chopin’s touch.  M. Marmontel does not forget to note it in his “Pianistes Celebres.”  He writes:—­

In the marvellous art of carrying and modulating the tone, in the expressive, melancholy manner of shading it off, Chopin was entirely himself.  He had quite an individual way of attacking the keyboard, a supple, mellow touch, sonorous effects of a vaporous fluidity of which only he knew the secret.

In connection with Chopin’s production of tone, I must not omit to mention his felicitous utilisation of the loud and soft pedals.  It was not till the time of Liszt, Thalberg, and Chopin that the pedals became a power in pianoforte-playing.  Hummel did not understand their importance, and failed to take advantage of them.  The few indications we find in Beethoven’s works prove that this genius began to see some of the as yet latent possibilities.  Of the virtuosi,

Moscheles was the first who made a more extensive and artistic use of the pedals, although also he employed them sparingly compared with his above-named younger contemporaries.  Every pianist of note has, of course, his own style of pedalling.  Unfortunately, there are no particulars forthcoming with regard to Chopin’s peculiar style; and this is the more to be regretted as the composer was very careless in his notation of the pedals.  Rubinstein declares that most of the pedal marks in Chopin’s compositions are wrongly placed.  If nothing more, we know at least thus much:  “No pianist before him [Chopin] has employed the pedals alternately or simultaneously with so much tact and ability,” and “in making constantly use of the pedal he obtained des harmonies ravissantes, des bruissements melodiques qui etonnaient et charmaient.” [Footnote:  Marmontel:  “Les Pianistes celebres.”]