*SOLD*
 
Frédéric Chopin 
Franz Liszt
Paris, 1852
 
First book edition(initially published in installments in the February through August 1851 issues of La France Musicale) of the Hungarian musician’s biography of the broody and perpetually ill virtuoso pianist. Original publisher’s wrappers, uncut. Covers lightly soiled, corners creased. Very small paper restorations at corners, spine head/foot, and a couple of the preliminary pages. Internally quite clean. Withal, a Very Good copy of a pretty rare find in original wrappers.
 
The two famed musicians, born a year apart, were opposites – Liszt more gregarious and flashy – but still shared an affection that kept their orbits close for years. Liszt set to task after Chopin’s death in 1849 and produced a work that wouldn’t pass many standards of a well-done biography. Nonetheless, the quick creation and anticipation of the book is a testament to the eternal greatness of Chopin. One of those shooting star geniuses that momentarily brighten history’s sky, his piano compositions encircle the heart and melancholically massage it until it’s ready to burst in an explosion of poignancy.