expressions in a letter of his (September 9, 1828) addressed to Titus Woyciechowski, where he describes himself as being at the time of writing “like a madman,” and accounts for his madness by the announcement:  “For I am going to-day to Berlin.”  To appear in public as a pianist or composer was not one of the objects he had in view.  His dearest wishes were to make the acquaintance of the musical celebrities of Berlin, and to hear some really good music.  From a promised performance of Spontini’s Ferdinand Cortez he anticipated great things.

Professor Jarocki and Chopin left Warsaw on the 9th of September, 1828, and after five days’ posting arrived in Berlin, where they put up at the Kronprinz.  Among the conveniences of this hotel our friend had the pleasant surprise of finding a good grand piano.  He played on it every day, and was rewarded for his pains not only by the pleasure it gave him, but also by the admiration of the landlord.  Through his travelling companion’s friend and teacher, M. H. K. Lichtenstein, professor of zoology and director of the Zoological Museum, who was a member of the Singakademie and on good terms with Zelter, the conductor of that society, he hoped to be made acquainted with the most distinguished musicians of the Prussian capital, and looked to Prince Radziwill for an introduction to the musical autocrat Spontini, with whom Lichtenstein was not on a friendly footing.  In these hopes, however, Chopin was disappointed, and had to content himself with looking at the stars from afar.  Speaking of a performance of the Singakademie at which he was present, he says:—­

   Spontini, Zelter, and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy were also
   there; but I spoke to none of these gentlemen, as I did not
   think it becoming to introduce myself.

It is not difficult to discover the circumstances that in this respect caused matters to turn out so little in accordance with the young man’s wishes.  Prince Radziwill was not in Berlin when Chopin arrived, and, although he was expected, perhaps never came, or came too late to be of any use.  As to Lichtenstein, his time was too much taken up by his duties as secretary to the congress.  Had this not been so, the professor could not only have brought the young artist in contact with many of the musical celebrities in Berlin, but also have told him much about his intimate friend Carl Maria von Weber, who had died little more than two years before.  Lichtenstein’s connection with Weber was probably the cause of his disagreement with Spontini, alluded to by Chopin.  The latter relates in an off-hand way that he was introduced to and exchanged a few words with the editor of the Berliner Musikzeitung, without mentioning that this was Marx.  The great theorist had of course then still to make his reputation.