Composers / Fryderyk Chopin / Places catalog

‘Old’ Merchants' Hall

‘“Cóż to za pani ta, co na łbie fioki ma?” [‘What kind of girl is that? With curls upon her head’]. This song lingers on in the memories of Warsaw residents. In 1829, when the National Theatre resounded to the strains of the humorous songs of the Broom-maker from the evergreen Der Bauer als millionär [The peasant as millionaire], it gave Chopin something to improvise on in a musical evening at the Merchants' Hall’. Thus the nineteen-year-old Fryderyk Ferdynand Hoesick begins his description of that performance.

The concert was held on 19 December 1829. Apart from the young Chopin, the bill included the highly promising violinist Józef Bielawski, Carlo Soliva, professor of singing at the Institute of Music and Declamation, and the singers Copello and Dorville. There was a short account of the concert, cited by Hoesick, in the Kurier Warszawski [Warsaw courier]: ‘The young virtuoso, Mr Szopę [Chopin], whose brilliance is increasingly winning over music lovers and cognoscenti alike, improvised piano variations to the much-loved ditty “Miotły [Brooms] (from Der Bauer als millionär) before a sizeable crowd in the old Merchants' Hall the other day’. A letter to the editor of the Courier (from Stanisław Egbert Koźmian) was similarly quoted verbatim by Hoesick: ‘The soiree given last Saturday evening at the Merchants' Hall was one of the most pleasant in our capital. The talent of Mr Chopin (Szopę) greatly contributed to this, and he was enthusiastically received. Our countryman had not been heard in his homeland before. This correspondent considers his modesty, although the finest attribute of talent, less creditable in this respect. Is not the brilliance of Mr Chopin the property of his homeland? The works of Mr Chopin undoubtedly bear the mark of great genius. One of his most recent works, the Concerto in F minor [sic], can hold its own among the works of the greatest musicians in Europe. We can only hope that Mr Chopin, having been summoned by us so many times, will no longer wish to dampen, to the detriment of his and his nation’s reputation, our pleasant conviction that Poland can produce great talent’.

Actually, Chopin was riding high at the time, especially after his recent triumphs in Vienna. Over the coming months, he threw himself into Warsaw’s salon life and concert scene, and in March 1830 he could even be heard at the National Theatre.

Place Category
Antoni Brzezina’s bookshop Publishers / Bookshops
Antonin Manors / Palaces / Castles
Apartment of Dominik Magnuszewski Flats
Apartment of Stefan Witwicki Flats
Apartment of the family of Alfons Brandt Flats
Augsburg Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity Churches / Places of worship
Belvedere Appearances
Bielany, Camaldolese monastery Churches / Places of worship
Blue Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
‘Botanika’ Other
Brochów Churches / Places of worship
Brühl Palace Appearances
Buchholtz’s instrument store Other
Casimir Palace Flats
Chopin Monument in Łazienki Park Other
Czapski (Krasiński) Palace Appearances, Manors / Palaces / Castles
Dal Trozzo bookshop Publishers / Bookshops
Duszniki Zdrój Hotels / Inns
Dziewanowski home Flats
Engraving studio of Fr Izydor Józef Cybulski and Antoni Płachecki Education
Franciszek Klukowski bookshop Publishers / Bookshops
Fryderyk Chopin Museum Other
Fryderyk Skarbek’s apartment Flats
Gdańsk Hotels / Inns
Gładkowskis' apartment Flats
Golub Other
Holy Cross Church Churches / Places of worship
Home of Jan Matuszyński Flats
‘Honoratka’ Coffeehouses
Jabłonowski Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
Jan Böhm’s townhouse Flats
Kalisz Other
Kikół Manors / Palaces / Castles
Kolbergs' apartment Flats
Kowalewo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Kozłowo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Krakow Other
Ludwik Dmuszewski’s house Flats
Magnus's bookshop Publishers / Bookshops
Marceli Celiński’s apartment Flats
Maurycy Mochnacki’s home Flats
Miss Kicka's Salon in Lubomirski Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
National Theatre Appearances
Obory Churches / Places of worship
Obrowo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Ojców Other
‘Old’ Merchants' Hall Appearances
Patisserie Lourse Coffeehouses
Pieskowa Skała Other
Płock Other
‘Pod Kopciuszkiem’ and ‘Dziurka’ Coffeehouses
Poturzyn Manors / Palaces / Castles
Powązki Cemeteries
Poznań Other
Presbytery of St Jadwiga (Hedwig) parish church in Milanówek Other
Pruszak Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
Residence of Józef Reinschmidt’s parents Flats
Rościszewo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Sanniki Manors / Palaces / Castles
Saxon Palace Flats
Saxon Post Office Other
Skating rink Other
Sochaczew Other
Sokołowo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Staszic Palace Manors / Palaces / Castles
Strzyżew Manors / Palaces / Castles
Szafarnia Manors / Palaces / Castles
Toruń Other
Turzno Manors / Palaces / Castles
‘U Brzezińskiej’ Coffeehouses
Ugoszcz Manors / Palaces / Castles
Viceroy's Palace Appearances
Vilnius (Wileński) Hotel Hotels / Inns
Visitandine Church of St Joseph Churches / Places of worship
Waplewo Manors / Palaces / Castles
Warsaw Other
Warsaw Charitable Society Appearances
Warsaw Conservatory Appearances
‘Wiejska Kawa’ Coffeehouses
Wieliczka Other
Wojciech Żywny’s apartment Flats
Wola Tollhouse Other
Wrocław Appearances
Żelazowa Wola Flats
Żychlin Manors / Palaces / Castles