A typical recital in England in 1897

John E. Borland described in a paper of June 1897:

It was customary to commence with a Bach prelude and fugue (usually perverted from one intended for the organ), a Beethoven sonata (choice limited to four or five), some Chopin pieces (there were about twelve orthodox ones to select from), and a Liszt rhapsody. These formed the backbone of every great pianoforte recital from January to December. All went through the same tasks, presumably, to show that they could play Bach, Chopin, &c.

Scholes, Percy (1947) The Mirror of Music. London: Novello and Company, vol. 1, p.309.

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