« With his ability, precision and sensitivity, this pupil of the celebrated Herr Mozart exceeds all expectations» (Berlinsche Nachrichten von Staats, 21 May 1789). In a letter to Eckermann in 1829, Goethe compares his playing to Napoleon's domination of the world «both feats appear amazing to us; they escape our comprehension, yet occur nonetheless - and these marvels unfold before our very eyes». And according to Mozart himself, the young man was destined to reach the same heights with the pianoforte as Raffaello had in the world of Art.