Cavaillé-Coll modified the organ that had been commissioned for the Église d’Auteuil to install it in the Trocadéro, given the limited time before the 1878 Exposition. I was living on rue Garancière at the time when one fine morning at seven o’clock père Cavaillé came to ring at my door and said: “Get up quickly. Liszt expects us at nine o’clock at the Trocadéro, where I have just finished the organ. He is asking to hear it.” Naturally, I hurried and the two of us arrived at the Trocadéro, where we found Liszt chatting as simply as possible with the voicers inside the instrument, and where he was looking at all the details with the greatest care. Our friendship was to commence there and continue at Madame de Blocqueville’s, where we met frequently.

Liszt was extremely pleasant and had absolutely no kind of arrogance; he always even seemed to be thanking you for anything you could ask of him. He spoke and wrote admirable French, and read everything that was published in our language, all the philosophers and poets. A close friend of Victor Hugo, he used to go donkey riding on country outings with him and his entourage. He was greatly admired in all the salons—political or philosophical— where the Parisian clique reigned. I played the Bach pieces that he asked for, and, having been kind enough to ask me to play my latest work for him, I performed my Symphony no. 3.

He was still keenly interested in the mechanics of the organ, the studies of the wind pressure, and the harmonic schemes of père Cavaillé. Toward noon he invited us both to lunch in one of the Exposition restaurants that was already open. He asked me, “How can I thank you for the time that I have made you waste this morning?” At the word “waste,” I blushed and replied, “I have the honor of living in the century of Liszt and I have never heard Liszt!” —“Well fine, I have a little free time right now. Madame Érard has given to me her place at rue du Mail, and I have taken up residence there. Would you like to come tomorrow at two o’clock? I’ll play whatever you want.” Nearly all week, he played for me all the works of the time, as well as his own.