We are often asked by students how long it takes to master a musical piece. There is of course no clear answer to this question. It is an individual matter, depending on the pianist's ability and level of difficulty of the piece. This issue is best illustrated by the anecdote of Egon Petri (1881 - 1962) - an outstanding German pianist and pedagogue of Dutch origin who for some time lived in Zakopane conducting master classes for pianists from around the world. Egon Petri himself is considered the greatest student of Ferruccio Busoni and the unsurpassed interpreter of his works. Speaking about the learning process of the piece, he cited the following anecdote (which we know from Robert Sheldon - a student of Egon Petri):

A pedestrian who was on his way to Athens met a peasant working by the roadside and asked him "How far is it to Athens?" The peasant replied, "Walk!" The man said "I know I have to walk, but tell me how long will it take me to get there?" The peasant repeated, "Walk!" When the third inquiry drew forth the same information, the traveler, giving the peasant up as a hopeless idiot, walked away with great strides. After a few seconds the peasant called out: "Half an hour!" Greatly surprised, the man turned back and said: "Why did you not tell me that at once?" Whereupon the peasant replied, "How could I tell you before I saw how you walked?"