A piano that belonged to Polish hero Fryderyk Chopin has been discovered in an English country house after years of detective work.
The Pleyel grand piano was purchased by the composer for his tour of England in 1848. It was to be the pianist's last tour, and many of the dates were cancelled owing to his poor health.
A Mr Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger - a Chopin historian - tracked down the instrument, which is now on display at a National Trust property in Surrey. The owner, antique dealer Alec Cobbe, had paid a very modest sum for the piano, as its origins had remained unknown for the last 150 years. However, Chopin himself described the Pleyel grand pianos as 'the last word in perfection.'
The news has caused much interest in Poland, where Chopin resides in the pantheon of national heroes. He was a protege of the princely Czartoryski family, whose famed museum survives in Cracow until this day. Chopin aficionados can discover several mementos belonging to the composer there, and there are also regular recitals at another aristocratic venue just off the square.
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