Par 1 p. 36 This eccentric and gnome-like creature claimed to own the coat of Chopin, an original garment of velvet and braid, the wearing of which enhanced his playing of the works of the great composer. With or without the coat, de Pachmann was recognized as an outstanding exponent of Chopin, and was dubbed by the critic Huneker a "Chopinzee."

Par 2 Pachmann was born in Odessa where his father was a professor at the University and an amateur violinist of standing. He was his son's first tutor, observing that the boy showed prodigy talent as a pianist. He sent him to Vienna at age 18 for study at the Conservatory where he remained two p. 37 years. After winning a gold medal he returned to Russia in 1869 to give a series of recitals. These pleased the public, but not the player. He retired for eight years of ceaseless practice, during which time he developed the pianistic qualities which were to make him outstanding: a perfectly even scale and an ethereal pianissimo.

Par 3 "Hot pearls on black velvet" (Huneker again!) was an attempt to describe the extraordinary hearing experience available to Pachmann's auditors. He specialized in the works of Chopin where his style was notably effective in the Nocturnes, Etudes, Preludes and Mazurkas.

Par 4 In 1884 Pachmann married a former pupil, Maggie Oakey [Okey], a fine pianist in her own right. She accompanied him to America on his first tour there (1891) on which occasion he used the Chickering piano and was not as touchy about the sign hung on the piano as von Bülow had been some years before. Pachmann's marriage lasted eleven years during which time his wife edited a book of Chopin's etudes with Pachmann's fingering.

Par 5 Much has been said of this artist's eccentricity, and he has been criticized for talking aloud while playing. This happened occasionally when he couldn't help praising himself for a specially beautiful passage. But most of his unusual behavior took place before a concert started. He devised an p. 38 amusing pantomime which involved a stagehand or tuner as foil, in which he complained that the piano was not level, and the matter was finally remedied by placing a single sheet of paper under one of the legs. More often than not these antics put the audience in good humor.

Par 6 In later life, when making his farewell tour of the United States, this funny little man had lost most of his teeth and he refused dentures. He was forced therefore to subsist on caviar, pâté de foie and champagne, no great trial for him as he preferred this diet anyway.