Thomas Boyce ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>It may have been the first String Quartet.  The young Grieg visited the old
>Liszt and showed him his quartet.  Liszt sightread the thing, improving the
>harmony as he went along.  Grieg was stunned, despondent.  Liszt encouraged
>him to keep composing.

Finck's 1909 biography of Grieg quotes the composer himself on this
meeting.  It was the piano concerto which Liszt sightread (accompaniment
and all) having first invited the composer to play it.  Liszt said he
couldn't (not having practised it) but he really wanted to see all along
whether LIszt actually could sightread it.  He apparently could, and also
make comments on the music as he did.

Deryk Barker
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