1. While studying at Balliol College at Oxford, Smith became absent-minded at the dinner table, which was common for him. Since meat in his native country, Scotland, was scarce at the time, a servant urged him to eat because he “had never seen such a piece of beef in Scotland.” 2. Smith was known for his acute attention to grammar,…...

One of the most singularly talented pianists of all time, Franz Liszt (1811—1886) dominated the musical world of the 19th century. An unrivaled virtuoso who also composed his own music, Liszt laid the bedrock for the Late Romantic and Impressionistic schools that would follow after him. To this day he is considered a musical genius who ranks alongside his contemporaries…...