Steve Schwarz reminds us:

>Actually, Liszt was considered in his own category, even at the time.
>There was a celebrated "battle of the pianists" between Liszt and Thalberg,
>and Liszt came off the winner.  On the other hand, only Gottschalk and
>Thalberg were thought to come close.

I realize this is the 'conventional wisdom', but is it really the case,
or is that just how we see it today through the prism of history? What
of Borodin's comment on meeting Liszt in 1881 that "...Liszt is a real
Balakirev." I make no case that Liszt's technique wasn't awesome,
thrilling, stupendous, memorable etc....  merely that perhaps history
has colored the extent to which it differed from others.

Tim Mahon
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