▁many ▁different ▁combinations ▁of ▁instruments . ▁He ▁referred ▁to ▁them ▁as ▁his ▁P éch és ▁de ▁vie ill esse ▁– ▁" s ins ▁of ▁old ▁age ". ▁The ▁sal ons ▁were ▁held ▁both ▁at ▁Beau ▁Sé j our ▁– ▁the ▁Pass y ▁villa ▁– ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁winter , ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁flat . ▁Such ▁gather ings ▁were ▁a ▁regular ▁feature ▁of ▁Paris ian ▁life ▁– ▁the ▁writer ▁James ▁Pen rose ▁has ▁observed ▁that ▁the ▁well - connected ▁could ▁easily ▁attend ▁different ▁sal ons ▁almost ▁every ▁night ▁of ▁the ▁week ▁– ▁but ▁the ▁Ross in is ' ▁s amed i ▁so irs ▁quickly ▁became ▁the ▁most ▁sought ▁after : ▁" an ▁inv itation ▁was ▁the ▁city ' s ▁highest ▁social ▁prize ." ▁The ▁music , ▁carefully ▁chosen ▁by ▁Ross ini , ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁his ▁own , ▁but ▁included ▁works ▁by ▁Per g oles i , ▁Hay dn ▁and ▁Moz art ▁and ▁modern ▁pieces ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁guests . ▁Among ▁the ▁compos ers ▁who ▁attended ▁the ▁sal ons , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁performed , ▁were ▁A uber , ▁G oun od , ▁Lis zt , ▁Rub in stein , ▁Meyer be er ▁and ▁Ver di . ▁Ross ini ▁liked ▁to ▁call ▁himself ▁a ▁fourth - class ▁pian ist , ▁but ▁the ▁many ▁famous ▁pian ists ▁who ▁attended ▁the ▁s amed i ▁so irs ▁were ▁d azz led ▁by ▁his ▁playing . ▁Vi olin ists ▁such ▁as ▁Pablo ▁Sar as ate ▁and ▁Joseph ▁Jo achim , ▁and ▁the ▁leading ▁sing ers ▁of ▁the