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349
The Journal of a Disappointed Man
·
W. N. P. Barbellion
261
Arrived
at
Queen's
Hall
in
time
for
Pachmann's
Recital
at
3.15....
As
usual
he
kept
us
waiting
for
10
minutes.
Then
a
short,
fat,
middle-aged
man
strolled
casually
on
to
the
platform
and
everyone
clapped
violently--so
it
was
Pachmann:
a
dirty
greasy
looking
fellow
with
long
hair
of
dirty
grey
colour,
reaching
down
to
his
shoulders
and
an
ugly
face.
He
beamed
on
us
and
then
shrugged
his
shoulders
and
went
on
shrugging
them
until
his
eye
caught
the
music
stool,
which
seemed
to
fill
him
with
amazement.
He
stalked
it
carefully,
held
out
one
hand
to
it
caressingly,
and
finding
all
was
well,
went
two
steps
backwards,
clasping
his
hands
before
him
and
always
gazing
at
the
little
stool
in
mute
admiration,
his
eyes
sparkling
with
pleasure,
like
Mr.
Pickwick's
on
the
discovery
of
the
archeological
treasure.
He
approached
once
more,
bent
down
and
ever
so
gently
moved
it
about
7/8ths
of
an
inch
nearer
the
piano.
He
then
gave
it
a
final
pat
with
his
right
hand
and
sat
down.
He
played
Nocturne
No.
2,
Prelude
No.
20,
a
Mazurka
and
two
Etudes
of
Chopin
and
Schubert's
Impromptu
No.
4.
At
the
close
we
all
crowded
around
the
platform
and
gave
the
queer,
old-world
gentleman
an
ovation,
one
man
thrusting
up
his
hand
which
Pachmann
generously
shook
as
desired.
As
an
encore
he
gave
us
a
Valse--"Valse,
Valse,"
he
exclaimed
ecstatically,
jumping
up
and
down
in
his
seat
in
time
to
the
music.
It
was
a
truly
remarkable
sight:
on
his
right
the
clamorous
crowd
around
the
platform;
on
his
left
the
seat
holders
of
the
Orchestra
Stalls,
while
at
the
piano
bobbed
this
grubby
little
fat
man
playing
divine
Chopin
divinely
well,
at
the
same
time
rising
and
falling
in
his
seat,
turning
a
beaming
countenance
first
to
the
right
and
then
to
the
left,
crying,
"Valse,
Valse."
He
is
as
entertaining
as
a
tumbler
at
a
variety
hall.
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