finally it was an encounter with friedrich kalkbrenner that decided stamaty's fate. kalkbrenner had been looking for a pupil who would continue his school for some time. he had considered frédéric chopin, but chopin on the advice of his teacher józef elsner had turned him down. the same had happened with charles hallé. hallé too had at first sought out kalkbrenner to become his pupil, but kalkbrenner's stiff, old-fashioned and even flawed playing deterred hallé so much, that he decided otherwise.