The Manchester Guardian of August 19, 1848, contained the following advertisement:—
Concert Hall.—The Directors beg to announce to the
Subscribers that a Dress Concert has been fixed for Monday,
the 28th of August next, for which the following performers
have already been engaged: Signora Alboni, Signora Corbari,
Signer Salvi, and Mons. Chopin.
From an account of the concert in the same paper (August 30), the writer of which declares the concert to have been the most brilliant of the season, we learn that the orchestra, led by Mr. Seymour, played three overtures—Weber's Ruler of the Spirits, Beethoven's Prometheus, and Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia; and that Chopin performed an Andante and Scherzo, and a Nocturne, Etudes, and the Berceuse of his own composition. With regard to Chopin we read in this critique:—
With the more instrumental portion of the audience, Mons.
Chopin was perhaps an equal feature of interest with Alboni,
as he was preceded by a high musical reputation. Chopin
appears to be about thirty years of age. [FOOTNOTE: Chopin,
says Mr. Hipkins, had a young look, although much wasted.] He
is very spare in frame, and there is an almost painful air of
feebleness in his appearance and gait. This vanishes when he
seats himself at the instrument, in which he seems for the
time perfectly absorbed. Chopin's music and style of
performance partake of the same leading characteristics—
refinement rather than vigour—subtle elaboration rather than
simple comprehensiveness in composition—an elegant rapid
touch, rather than a firm, nervous grasp of the instrument.
Both his compositions and playing appear to be the perfection
of chamber music—fit to be associated with the most refined
instrumental quartet and quartet playing—but wanting breadth
and obviousness of design, and executive power, to be
effective in a large hall. These are our impressions from
hearing Mons. Chopin for the first time on Monday evening. He
was warmly applauded by many of the most accomplished amateurs
in the town, and he received an encore in his last piece, a
compliment thus accorded to each of the four London artists
who appeared at the concert.
From the criticism of the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser (August 30, 1848), I cull the following remarks:—
We can, with great sincerity, say that he delighted us. Though
we did not discover in him the vigour of Thalberg, yet there
was a chasteness and purity of style, a correctness of
manipulation combined with a brilliance of touch, and delicate
sensibility of expression which we never heard excelled. He
played in the second act [part]... and elicited a rapturous
encore. He did not, however, repeat any part, but treated the
audience with what appeared to be a fragment of great beauty.
Mr. Osborne, in a paper on Chopin read before the London Musical Association, says:—
On a tour which I made with Alboni, I met Chopin at
Manchester, where he was announced to play at a grand concert
without orchestra. He begged I should not be present. "You, my
dear Osborne," said he, "who have heard me so often in Paris,
remain with those impressions. My playing will be lost in such
a large room, and my compositions will be ineffective. Your
presence at the concert will be painful both to you and me."
Mr. Osborne told his audience further that notwithstanding this appeal he was present in a remote corner of the room. I may add that although he could absent himself from the hall for the time Chopin was playing, he could not absent himself from the concert, for, as the papers tell us, he acted as accompanist. The impression which Chopin's performance on this occasion left upon his friend's mind is described in the following few sad words: "His playing was too delicate to create enthusiasm, and I felt truly sorry for him."
Soon after the concert Chopin returned to Scotland. How many days (between August 23 and September 7?) he remained in Manchester, I do not know, but it is well known that while staying there he was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Salis Schwabe. To Mrs. Salis Schwabe, a lady noted for her benevolence, Thomas Erskine addressed the letter concerning Miss Jane Stirling a part of which I quoted on one of the foregoing pages of this chapter. The reader remembers, of course, Chopin's prospective allusions to the Manchester concert in his letters to Franchomme (August 6, 1848) and Grzymala (July 18, 1848).