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Show I J - Chopin as a Boy. Chopin, alone of all the musicians, has been immortalized through his pianoforte music. If all the works that have ever been written for the piano were to be 6wept away, .his compositions would of themselves inspire one through all the drudgery that is necessary to master the "instrument. - - Fredric (Chopin was born on March 1; 1809, at a little village near Warsaw. The child's genius was apparent in his earliest years-; when scarcely more than a baby, he was so sensitive that he wept on hearing music ; and he began to compose com-pose before he was old enough to write -out the notes. He was placed under the tution of Albert Zwyny, who was delighted de-lighted with hislittle pupil's progress, and in his ninth year he gave his first ; concert. Frederic was generally full of high spirits, and often amused himself by playing little practical jokes, sometimes being joined by his sister Emily. This sister gave as rare promise of being great in literature as Frederic in music, but, unfortunately, she died when only a young girl. ' Chopin had a talent for seizing the ludicrous and placing it on paper ; and his power of caricaturing on the piano was much like Schumann's. It is said that once, when his father's pupils were becoming very boisterous, Chopin entered the room and seated himself at the piano. He imitated a band of robbers breaking into a house, their escape, and retreat to the woods ; as the music grew fainter the pupils became drowsier and drowsier until they were alh fast asleep. Agatha Tunis, in.i'From. Bach to JVaqncr," St. Nicholas for December. " |