=Introduction=.—The achievements of Liszt in developing piano
technic, in enlarging the scope of piano playing through his masterly
transcriptions, in variety and intensity of interpretation, have
brought results that are enormous in extent and far-reaching in their
developments to the generations that have succeeded him. When Liszt
was in the height of his career as a virtuoso, few could master the
difficulties which his epoch-making works presented. Gradually the
secrets of his technic were revealed to the ambitious few; now they are
almost common property. The great concert pianists of today possess
a technic that would have been unique forty years ago. The repertory
which all pianists worthy the name play from memory (a practice
which Liszt initiated) is exceedingly extensive, while the endurance
which they display and the facility with which they reproduce the
masterpieces of piano literature is stupendous.