The German are coming! The Germans are here! It would seem that most of Paris’ piano virtuosos hale from German lands. “This pianist, like other pianists, was a German,” remarked the writer Honoré de Balzac about a piano teacher in his most recent book Cousin Pons: “A German like the eminent Liszt and the great Mendelssohn… a German like Kalkbrenner, like Herz…” Balzac goes on to list 12 others concluding “and all Germans generally speaking.” While Liszt might object saying he is proudly Hungarian, the reality is that now in Paris most of the virtuoso come from the east. While we have French virtuosos like Marie Pleyel and Charles Valentin Alkan, they do not appear in public as frequently as the onslaught of endless Germans. Clearly this image holds true as Paul Smith remarked in his 1844 novel Sketches of an artist’s life that a French pianist is convinced, he will only become famous in Paris if he changes his name to “Wasserman”.

It has just been announced that Franz Liszt is returning to Paris to give a concert. Liszt has not appeared in Paris in 4 years, so this is a highly anticipated event. Or is it? Most Paris concerts have singers, and instrumentalists, as well as pianists. It is believed that a concert needs variety so as not to bore the audience. But Liszt is planning to do this concert solo: no other musicians, no singers in sight. And he is charging an outrageous 20 francs for this. That is almost double the price for a concert full of singers and musicians. It is unthinkable! “Hopefully Mr. Liszt will change his mind and will give a typically structured concert, surrounded by artists worthy of him,” is how one reporter put it.

There is a lot of talk that one of Paris’ most renowned pianists who only appears now and then in the most prestigious salons of this city, is going to finally appear in concert. It’s been 3 years since this pianist has been seen on stage in 3 years and then at someone else’s concert. It’s been a full 6 years since he gave a concert of his own. It is said that he positively hates the idea of giving a concert which puts many in doubt that the concert is going to happen. “The numerous admirers of the out of this world talent,” remarked one paper, “have finally convinced the celebrated artist to play in public.” The world talent is none other than the poet of the piano: Frédéric Chopin.

There are rumours that a newly arrived pianist has caused quite a stir at Pierre Zimmerman’s Paris salon. People were used to Europe’s best musicians end up appearing at Zimmerman’s, but this one caused a sensation. He is elegantly dressed, with a button-down jacket and looks the proper gentlemen. Reports say that when he sat at the piano his face was calm and expressionless, and his upper body rigid. But when he started to play everyone bolted to attention. He kept his fingers close to the keys but danced around the keyboard as the volume rose. Then all sorts of runs and broken chords accompanied the melody from the treble and the bass as if singer and accompanist were blended in one instrument. As a lucky witness who saw him reported: “These new sounds he produced were so marvelous that everyone crowded together to see and hear him; all the assembled pianists wanted to see first firsthand the techniques being used by the young genius.” The genius, Sigismond Thalberg. Paris will surely be hearing more about him during the concert season this spring.