In the Edinburgh Courant, which contained on September 30 and on other days an advertisement similar to the Glasgow one (with the addition of a programme, consisting, however, only of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th items of the one above given), there appeared on October 7, 1848, a notice of the concert, a part of which may find a place here:—­

This talented pianist gratified his admirers by a performance on Wednesday evening in the Hopetoun Rooms, where a select and highly fashionable audience assembled to welcome him on his first appearance in Edinburgh...Chopin’s compositions have been too long before the musical portion of Europe, and have been too highly appreciated to require any comment, further than that they are among the best specimens of classical excellence in pianoforte music.  Of his execution we need say nothing further than that it is the most finished we have ever heard.  He has neither the ponderosity nor the digital power of a Mendelssohn, a Thalberg, or Liszt; consequently his execution would appear less effective in a large room; but as a chamber pianist he stands unrivalled.  Notwithstanding the amount of musical entertainment already afforded the Edinburgh public this season, the rooms were filled with an audience who, by their judicious and well-timed applause, testified their appreciation of the high talent of Monsieur Chopin.

An Edinburgh correspondent of the Musical World, who signs himself “M.,” confirms (October 14, 1848) the statements of the critic of the Courant.  From this communication we learn that one of the etudes played was in F minor (probably No. 2 of Op. 25, although there are two others in the same key—­No. 9 of Op. 10 and No. 1 of Trois Etudes without opus number).  The problematical Andante precede d’un Largo was, no doubt, a juxtaposition of two of his shorter compositions, this title being chosen to vary the programme.  From Mr. Hipkins I learned that at this Chopin played frequently the slow movement from his Op. 22, Grande Polonaise preceded d’un Andante Spianato.

And now we will let Chopin again speak for himself.

Chopin to Grzymala; Keir, Perthshire, Sunday, October 1, 1848:—­

No post, no railway, also no carriage (not even for taking the air), no boat, not a dog to be seen—­all desolate, desolate!  My dearest friend,—­Just at the moment when I had already begun to write to you on another sheet, your and my sister’s letters were brought to me.  Heaven be thanked that cholera has hitherto spared them.  But why do you not write a word about yourself? and yet to you corresponding is much easier than to me; for I have been writing to you daily for a whole week already—­namely, since my return from northern Scotland (Strachur [footnote:  A small town, eight miles south of Inveraray, in Argyleshire.])—­without getting done.  I know, indeed, that you have an invalid in Versailles; for Rozaria [footnote:  Mdlle. de Rozieres.]