Visiting the Prince

We must remember that, according to the witnesses, Fryderyk's charm lied not only in his composing talent and in the sensitivity of his performance, but also in his sense of humor, personal grace and excellent manners.

Although not of noble origin himself, Fryderyk gave concerts in the parlours of Warsaw palaces from an early age. There, he was around many aristocratic families. The enthusiasm and applause of the high-born certainly gave him confidence in his own creative potential.
 

It is therefore not surprising that nineteen-year-old Fryderyk was invited by Prince Antoni Radziwiłł, the Prussian governor of the Grand Duchy of Poznań, who was also an avid music lover. The Prince played the cello and even composed.

Chopin was hosted in the princely residence in Antonin, designed by an architecture star of the time, Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The locality was named after the Prince himself who awaited the young virtuoso with his wife and daughters in the palace.

The princely couple's daughter, Eliza Radziwiłłówna, apparently liked her teacher as well, since she drew two portraits of him in her album. In one of them, Fryderyk is sitting at the then fashionable table piano. 
 

The prince, famous not only for his political activity, but also for his love of playing the cello, certainly enjoyed the gift that Fryderyk made him. Chopin dedicated him his Trio in G minor, Op. 8.

The trio is a piece intended for three performers: a pianist, a violinist, and a cellist. Critics welcomed the young composer's work which echoed those of Beethoven and Schubert.