Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician Part 60

A biography is incomplete without some account of the portraits of the hero or heroine who is the subject of it. M. Mathias regards as the best portrait of Chopin a lithograph by Engelmann after a drawing by Vigneron, of 1833, published by Maurice Schlesinger, of Paris. In a letter to me he writes: "This portrait is marvellous for the absolutely exact idea it gives of Chopin: the graceful fall of the shoulders, the Polish look, the charm of the mouth." Continuing, he says: "Another good likeness of Chopin, but of a later date, between the youthful period and that of his decay, is Bovy's medallion, which gives a very exact idea of the outlines of his hair and nose. Beyond these there exists nothing, all is frightful; for instance, the portrait in Karasowski's book, which has a stupid look." The portrait here alluded to is a lithographic reproduction of a drawing by A. Duval. As a rule, the portraits of Chopin most highly prized by his pupils and acquaintances are those by A. Bovy and T. Kwiatkowski. Madame Dubois, who likes Bovy's medallion best, and next to it the portraits by Kwiatkowski, does not care much for Ary Scheffer's portrait of her master, in whose apartments she had of course frequent opportunities to examine it. "It had the appearance of a ghost [d'un ombre], and was more pale and worn than Chopin himself." Of a bust by Clesinger Madame Dubois remarks that it does not satisfy those who knew Chopin. M. Marmontel writes in a letter to me that the portrait of Chopin by Delacroix in his possession is a powerful sketch painted in oil, "reproducing the great artist in the last period of his life, when he was about to succ.u.mb to his chest disease. My dear friend Felix Barrias has been inspired, or, to be more exact, has reproduced this beautiful and poetic face in his picture of the dying Chopin asking the Countess Potocka to sing to him." Gutmann had in his possession two portraits of his master, both pencil drawings; the one by Franz Winterhalter, dated May 2, 1847, the other by Albert Graefle, dated October 19, 1849. The former of these valuable portraits shows Chopin in his decline, the latter on his death-bed. Both seem good likenesses, Graefle's drawing having a strong resemblance with Bovy's medallion.

[FOOTNOTE: The authors.h.i.+p alone is sufficient to make a drawing by George Sand interesting. Madame Dubois says (in a letter written to me) that the portrait, after a drawing of George Sand, contained in the French edition of Chopin's posthumous works, published by Fontana, is not at all a good likeness. Herr Herrmann Scholtz in Dresden has in his possession a faithful copy of a drawing by George Sand made by a nephew of the composer, a painter living at Warsaw. Madame Barcinska, the sister of Chopin, in whose possession the original is, spoke of it as a very good likeness. This picture, however, is not identical with that mentioned by Madame Dubois.]

The portrait by A. Regulski in Szulc's book can only be regarded as a libel on Chopin, and ought perhaps also to be regarded as a libel on the artist. Various portraits in circulation are curiosities rather than helps to a realisation of the outward appearance of Chopin. Schlesinger, of Berlin, published a lithograph after a drawing by Maurir; and Schuberth, of Hamburg, an engraving on steel, and Hofmeister, of Leipzig, a lithograph, after I don't know what original. Several other portraits need not be mentioned, as they are not from life, but more or less fancy portraits based on one or more of the authentic delineations.

Bovy's medallion graces Breitkopf and Hartel's Gesammtausgabe and Thematic Catalogue of the master's published works. The portrait by Ary Scheffer may be seen lithographically reproduced by Waldow in the German edition of Chopin's posthumous works, published by Fontana. A wood-cut after the drawing by Graefle appeared in 1879 in the German journal Die Gartenlaube. Prefixed to the first volume of the present biography the reader will find one of the portraits by Kwiatkowski, an etching after a charming pencil drawing in my possession, the reproduction of which the artist has kindly permitted. M. Kwiatkowski has portrayed Chopin frequently, and in many ways and under various circ.u.mstances, alive and dead. Messrs. Novello, Ewer & Co. have in their possession a clever water-colour drawing by Kwiatkowski of Chopin on his death-bed. A more elaborate picture by the same artist represents Chopin on his death-bed surrounded by his sister, the Princess Marcellince Czartoryska, Grzymala, the Abbe Jelowicki, and the portrayer. On page 321 of this volume will be found M. Charles Gavard's opinion of two portrayals of Chopin, respectively by Clesinger and Kwiatkowski. In conclusion, I recall to the reader's attention what has been said of the master's appearance and its pictorial and literary reproductions on pp. 65 and 246 of Vol. I. and pp. 100, 135, and 329 of Vol. II.

REMARKS PRELIMINARY TO THE LIST OF CHOPIN'S WORKS.

The original editions were three in number: the German, the French, and the English (see p. 272). To avoid overcrowding, only the names of the original German and French publishers will be given in the following list, with two exceptions, however,--Op. 1 and 5, which were published in Poland (by Brzezina & Co., of Warsaw) long before they made their appearance elsewhere. [FOOTNOTE: What is here said, however, does not apply to Section IV.] Some notes on the publication of the works in England are included in these preliminary remarks.

In the list the publishers will be always placed in the same order--the German first, and the French second (in the two exceptional cases, Op. 1 and 5, they will be second and third). The dates with an asterisk and in parentheses (*) are those at which a copy of the respective works was deposited at the Paris Bibliotheque du Conservatoire de Musique, the dates without an asterisk in parentheses are derived from advertis.e.m.e.nts in French musical journals; the square brackets [ ] enclose conjectural and approximate dates and additional information; and lastly, the dates without parentheses and without brackets were obtained by me direct from the successors of the original German publishers, and consequently are more exact and trustworthy than the others. In a few cases where the copyright changed hands during the composer's lifetime, and where unacquaintance with this change might give rise to doubts and difficulties, I have indicated the fact.

The publis.h.i.+ng firms mentioned in the list are the following:--Maurice Schlesinger, Brandus &Cie. (the successors of M. Schlesinger), Eugene Troupenas & Cie., Joseph Meissonnier, Joseph Meissonnier fils H.

Lemoine, Ad. Catelin & Cie. (Editeurs des Compositeurs reunis, Rue Grange Bateliere, No. 26), Pacini (Antonio Francesco Gaetano), Prilipp & Cie. (Aquereurs d'une partie du Fond d'lgn. Pleyel & Cie.), S. Richault (i.e., Charles Simon Richault, to whom succeeded his son Guillaume Simon, who in his turn was succeeded by his son Leon.--Present style: Richault et Cie., Successeurs), and Schonenberger, all of Pans;-Breitkopf & Hartel, Probst-Kistner (since 1836 Friedrich Kistner), Friedrich Hofmeister, and C. F. Peters, of Leipzig;--Ad. M. Schlesinger, Stern & Co.( from 1852 J. Friedlander; later on annexed to Peters, of Leipzig), and Bote and Bock, of Berlin;--Tobias Haslinger, Carl Haslinger quondam Tobias, and Pietro Mechetti (whose widow was succeeded by C. A. Spina), of Vienna;--Schuberth & Co., of Hamburg (now Julius Schuberth, of Leipzig);--B. Schott's Sohne, of Mainz;--Andr. Brzezina & Co. and Gebethner & Wolff, of Warsaw;--J. Wildt and W. Chaberski, of Cracow;--and J. Leitgeber, of Posen.

From 1836 onward the course of the publication of Chopin's works in England can be followed in the advertis.e.m.e.nt columns of the Musical World. Almost all the master's works were published in England by Wessel. On March 8, 1838, Messrs. Wessel advertised Op. 1-32 with the exception of Op. 4, 11, and 29. This last figure has, no doubt, to be read as 28, as the Preludes could hardly be in print at that time, and the Impromptu, Op. 29, was advertised on October 20, 1837, as OP. 28.

With regard to Op. 12 it has to be noted that it represents not the Variations brillantes sur le Rondo favori "Je vends des Scapulaires,"

but the Grand Duo concertant for piano and violoncello, everywhere else published without opus number. The Studies, Op. 10, were offered to the public "revised with additional fingering by his pupil I. [sic]

Fontana." On November 18, 1841, Wessel and Stapleton (the latter having come in as a partner in 1839) advertised Op. 33-43, and subsequently Op. 44-48. On February 22, 1844, they announced that they had "the sole copyright of the COMPLETE and entire works" of Chopin. On May 15, 1845, were advertised Op. 57 and 58; on January 17, 1846, Op. 59; on September 26, 1846, Op. 60, 61, and 62. The partners.h.i.+p with Stapleton having in 1845 been dissolved, the style of the firm was now Wessel & Co. Thenceforth other English publishers came forward with Chopin compositions. On June 3, 1848, Cramer, Beale & Co. advertised Chopin's "New Valses and Mazurkas for the pianoforte"; and on the t.i.tle-pages of the French edition of Op. 63, 64, and 65 I found the words: "London, Jullien et Cie." But also before this time Wessel seems to have had compet.i.tors; for on the t.i.tle-page of the French edition of Op. 22 may be read: "London, Mori et Lavenu," and on September 20, 1838, Robert c.o.c.ks advertised "Five Mazurkas and Three Nocturnes." On September 23, 1848, however, Wessel & Co. call themselves sole proprietors of Chopin's works; and on November 24, 1849, they call themselves Publishers of the Complete Works of Chopin. Information received from Mr. Ashdown, the present proprietor of the business, one of the two successors (Mr. Parry retired in 1882) of Christian Rudolph Wessel, who retired in 1860 and died in 1885, throws some further light on the publication of Chopin's works in England. We have already seen in a former part of this book (p.

117) that Wessel discontinued to deal with Chopin after Op. 62. "Cramer, Beale & Co.," writes Mr. Ashdown, "published the Mazurkas, Op. 63, and two only of the Waltzes, Op. 64; these, being non-copyright in England, Mr. Wessel added to his edition, together with the third waltz of Op.

64. The name of Jullien on the French edition was probably put on in consequence of negotiations for the sale of English copyright having been entered upon, but without result." With the exception of Op. 12 and 65, Wessel published all the works with opus numbers of Chopin that were printed during the composer's lifetime. Cramer, Addison & Beale published the Variations, Op. 12; Chappell, the Trois Nouvelles Etudes; R. c.o.c.ks, the posthumous Sonata, Op. 4, and the Variations stir un air allemand without opus number; and Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co., the Seventeen Polish Songs, Op. 74. The present editions issued by the successor of Wessel are either printed from the original plates or re-engraved (which is the case in about half of the number) from the old Wessel copies, with here and there a correction.

Simultaneous publication was aimed at, as we see from Chopin's letters, but the dates of the list show that it was rarely attained. The appearance of the works in France seems to have in most cases preceded that in Germany; in the case of the Tarantelle, Op. 43, I found the English edition first advertised (October 28, 1841). Generally there was approximation if not simultaneity.

I.--WORKS PUBLISHED WITH OPUS NUMBERS DURING THE COMPOSER'S LIFETIME.

DATES ORIGINAL OF GERMAN & FRENCH PUBLICATION t.i.tLES WITH REFERENCES PUBLISHERS.

1825. OP.1. Premier Rondeau [C minor] Brzezina.

pour le piano. Dedie a Mme. de A. M. Schlesinger.

Linde.--Vol. I, pp. 52, 53-54, M. Schlesinger 55, 112;--Vol. II, p.87

[1830, OP.2. La ci darem la mano [B flat T. Haslinger about March] major] varie pour le piano, avec M. Schlesinger (September accompagnement d'orchestre. Dedie 21, 1834.) a Mr. Woyciechowski.--Vol. I., pp.

53, 62, 95, 96, 97, 99, 100, 101, 105, 112, 116-118, 120, 163, 241; Vol. II., p.87, 212

[1833 in OP.3. Introduction et Polonaise Mechetti print.] brillante [C major], pour piano S. Richault June, 1835) et violincelle Dediee d Mr. Joseph Merk.--Vol.I., pp. 129, 200-201; --Vol. II., p. 87.

Op.4. As this work was published posthumously, it had to be placed in Section III. Nevertheless, it differs from the works with which it is cla.s.sed in one important respect--it was intended for publication by the composer himself, who sent it to Vienna in 1828.

[1827?] Op.5. Rondeau a la Mazur [F major] Brzezina.

May, 1836 pour le piano. Dediee a Mlle. la Hofmeister.

Comtesse Alexandrine de Moriolles. Schonenberger.

--Vol. I., pp. 54-55, 56, 112, 168; --Vol. II., p.87

Dec., 1832 Op.6. Quatre Mazurkas [F sharp minor Probst-Kistner.

(Nov. 23, C Sharp minor, E major, and E flat M. Schlesinger.

1834.) minor] pour le piano. Dediees a Mlle. la Comtesse Pauline Plater.

--Vol. I., p. 268;--Vol. II, pp.231- 232.234-239.

Dec.1832 Op.7. Cinq Mazurkas [B flat major, Probst-Kistner (Nov. 23, A minor, F minor, A flat major, and M. Schlesinger.

1834.) C major] pour le piano. Dediees a Mr. Johns.--Vol. I., pp.250,268, 276 (No. 1);--Vol. II, pp. 231-232 234-239.

March, 1833.) Op.8. Premier Trio [G minor] pour Probst-Kistner (Nov. 23, piano, violon, et violoncelle. M. Schlesinger 1834.) Dedie a Mr. le Prince Antonine Radziwill--Vol. I., pp. 62, 88, 112, 113-115, 268;--Vol. II., p.

212,342

Jan. 1833. Op.9. Trois Nocturnes (B flat Probst-Kistner (Nov. 23, minor, E flamajor, and B major] M. Schlesinger 1834.) pour le piano Dedies a Mme.

Camille Pleyel--Vol.l.,268; --Vol. II., pp.87. 261-63

August, 1833. Op.10.Douze Grandes Etudes [C major Probst-Kistner (July 6,1833.) A minor, E major, C sharp minor M. Schlesinger G flat major, E flat minor, C [who sold them major, F major, F minor, A flat afterwards to major, E flat major, and C minor] Lemoine].

pour le piano. Dediees a Mr. Fr.

Liszt.--Vol. I., p.201,268; Vol.

II., p. 55 (No. 5), 251-254.

Sept., 1833 Op.11.Grand Concerto [E minor] pour Probst-Kistner (July 6, le piano avec orchestre. Dedie a M. Schlesinger 1833.) Mr. Fr. Kalkbrenner.--Vol. I., pp 127, 146, 147, 150, 151, 152, 156, 189, 195, 203-208, 210-212, 233, 240, 241, 268, 281; Vol. II., pp. 16, 211

Nov., 1833 Op.12.Variations brillantes [B flat Breitkopf & Hartel (Jan.26, major] pour le piano sur le Rondeau M. Schlesinger 1834) favori de Ludovic de Herold: "Je vends des Scapulaires." Dediees a Mlle. Emma Horsford.--Vol.I.,p.268; Vol. II., p.221.

May, 1834 Op.13.Grande Fantaisie [A major] sur Probst-Kistner (April, des airs polonais, pour le piano M. Schlesinger 1834) avec orchestre. Dediee a Mr. J.

P. Pixis--Vol.I., pp. 112,116.

118-120,132,152,197,268; Vol.

II., p.212.