2, which from the point of view of texture is much more developed, is closer stylistically to that of Franz Liszt. 1, represents an explicit reference to ChopinвЂ™s Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. Mikuli was also the author of several theoretical works and the editor of a joint publication of ChopinвЂ™s works.

Most of his compositions are written in the late brillant style which was, however, affected by the more dense textures of Liszt. He was also responsible for a few transcriptions for choir and instrumental ensemble of ChopinвЂ™s works. Mikuli left some forty opus numbers, prevalent among which are solo and chamber compositions. Among MikuliвЂ™s students were such outstanding pianists as Aleksander Michalowski, Maurice Rosenthal and Raul Koczalski. He taught both theory and practice of piano-playing and gained considerable fame and recognition. Despite great successes, in 1858 he retired from his career to become head of the Conservatoire of the Galician Music Society in LвЂ™viv. In the years from 1847 to 1858 he gave concerts in France, Austria, Romania and Poland, with particular attention to the performance of ChopinвЂ™s compositions. Mikuli was also very often the first one to hear ChopinвЂ™s works. Chopin used to commission Mikuli to copy his compositions before handing them over for publication. In 1844 he moved to Paris, where, during the next four years, he developed his skills as a pianist under the supervision of Fryderyk Chopin, becoming his favourite student relatively quickly and, shortly after, also one of his closest friends. In 1839 he started to study medicine in Vienna, where he met many prominent people from the world of music, including Eduard Hanslick.

As a child he learnt to play the piano from Franciszek Kolberg, a concert pianist. A Pole of Moldavian origin, Karol Mikuli was born on 20 October 1819, in Czerniowice, Bukovina.

Chopin scherzo 2 zimmerman