ABSTRACT
There can be few musical visitors to Britain who enjoyed the experience less than Frédéric Chopin. Born in Warsaw on 1 March 1810, Chopin’s childhood and youth were spent in a comparatively privileged family. His father, Nicholas, was a tutor to a Polish countess and the Chopins lived in an apartment in the wing of the palace. Nicholas gained entry into the circle of Warsaw intellectuals and the aristocracy; when there were signs of Frédéric’s early precociousness as a pianist, there was ready support available for him.
