The day after Kalkbrenner's return I went to see him at eleven o'clock...Then he said he would like to hear me play, to see how far I had got on, and that he could perhaps recommend a teacher to me. He took me into his sitting-room, where there was a most beautiful grand piano, and I played him his own Effusio Musica. He made several remarks about the tempo, and said several times, 'very good', 'first rate,' until I got to a part where both hands had scales in octaves during several pages ; when I had finished them he stopped me, and asked why I played the octaves with my arms and not from my wrists? 'You are quite out of breath,' he said (which was the case) ; he could play scales in octaves for an hour without the least fatigue ; and why had God given us wrists? He was sure, if the Almighty had ever played the piano, He would play from the wrist ! He made several other remarks ; he said I held my fingers rather too high, I must hold them closer to the keys, especially in legato passages, to make them more finished, and obtain altogether a rounder and more ringing tone ; and as to the expression, he gave me a good deal of advice, all very good, and worthy to be followed. He then played part of the piece I had played, to make it clear to me ; after this, he began another, and altogether played for me more than half-an-hour. You can imagine my delight ; it was the first time I had ever heard a celebrated musician, and this half-hour has been of the greatest use to me. In Kalkbrermer's playing there reigns a clearness, a distinctness, and neatness that are astonishing ; in octave scales he has an immense facility and precision, especially in the left hand; then he has a special mode of handling the piano, particularly in melodious passages, which makes a great impression, but which I cannot describe to yon; the reason of it lies merely in that he keeps his finders so closely over the keys. When he had finished, he told me to be very industrious, to avoid the mistakes he had pointed out, and that I would become a first-rate pianist. << less