Before we inquire into the doings and sufferings of Chopin in England and Scotland, let us take a general survey of his life-work as a composer.  We may fitly do so now; as at the stage of his career we have reached, his creative activity had come to a close.  The last composition he published, the G minor Sonata for piano and violoncello, Op. 65, appeared in October, 1847; and among his posthumous compositions published by Fontana there are only two of later date—­namely, the mazurkas, No. 2 of Op. 67 (G minor) and No. 4 of Op. 68 (F minor), which came into existence in 1849.  Neither of these compositions can be numbered with the master’s best works, but the latter of them is interesting, because it seems in its tonal writhings and wailings a picture of the bodily and mental torments Chopin was at the time enduring.

A considerable number of the master’s works I have already discussed in Chapters III., VIII., and xiii.  These, if we except the two Concertos, Op.  II and 21 (although they, too, do not rank with his chefs-d’oeuvre), are, however, for us of greater importance biographically, perhaps also historically, than otherwise.  It is true, we hear now and then of some virtuoso playing the Variations, Op. 2, or the Fantasia on Polish airs, Op. 13, nay, we may hear even of the performance of the Trio, Op. 8; but such occurrences are of the rarest rarity, and, considering how rich musical literature is in unexceptionable concert-pieces and chamber compositions, one feels on the whole pleased that these enterprising soloists and trio-players find neither much encouragement nor many imitators.  While in examining the earlier works, the praise bestowed on them was often largely mixed with censure, and the admiration felt for them tempered by dissatisfaction; we shall have little else than pure praise and admiration for the works that remain to be considered, at least for the vast majority of them.  One thing, however, seems to me needful before justice can be done to the composer Chopin:  certain prejudices abroad concerning him have to be combated.  I shall, therefore, preface my remarks on particular compositions and groups of compositions by some general observations.