Vladimir de Pachmann

His father was a professor at the University of Odesa and a celebrated amateur violinist who had met Beethoven, Weber and other notable composers in Vienna.

He gained the Conservatory's Gold Medal[1] and made his concert debut in Odesa in 1869, but until 1882 he appeared in public infrequently, spending his time in further study.

His programmes consisted almost exclusively of the works of Chopin, with only an occasional movement by Bach, Scarlatti, Mendelssohn or Henselt.

He was also famous for gestures, muttering and addressing the audience during his performance; the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition characterized it as the "playfulness of his platform manner".

[2] Critic James Huneker called him the "Chopinzee", and George Bernard Shaw reported that he "gave his well-known pantomimic performance, with accompaniments by Chopin."