Peter Varley writes:

>A hundred years ago, most listeners would have known all about the major
>pieces from the 1830s and 1840s and would have had a pretty good idea
>about the 1870s and 1880s too

What evidence do you have support this assertion? Most "listeners" could
not attend more than a few live performances, and there were no recordings;
not everything was made available in piano transcription.

If you have documentary evidence, please share it with us.

len.