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It is well known that Liszt liked to read books whilst practising technical exercises, I am wondering what people think of this fact.

"Whilst"??

I did not know that!!

In fact, I sort of doubt it.

Well - if you can indeed PROVE to us that this is a "fact" I'll be happy to comment.

I'm still on his saying it's "well known."

I think a soul that craves the fulfillment music brings is well matched with a thirst for knowledge in other areas. Look at what he was reading - cornerstone literature (of Western civilization) - philosophy, ethics, epic poetry, humanities, and other musicians. The more you learn about works such as these, the more you find links that hold them together and the tighter knit is the tapestry they weave.

Both fields of study were giving him a depth and breadth of scope that he was clearly quite passionate about - thirst feeding thirst!

Speaking from my own experiences, being immersed in music has given me (at different stages in my life) a very different and much more developed awareness of what I listen to and how I listen. My interests in reading - which include history, art, classic literature just to name a few - have really given me an ability to see connections, patterns and movements on many scales (no pun intended), over periods of a few hunderd years and on a few different continents! My experience is: the more you know, the more you realize there is to know, and the more you want to know.
I personally know a fair amount - but I still feel it is a work in progress, which is most enjoyable.

The only thing I find surprising is that he says his mind and spirit are like two lost spirits.... I would have thought he might have found some level of mental/emotional/philisophical harmony from the combination of the two activities.

No no -- he was asking about the "whilst" part.

Well, don't I feel a bit silly. I was going to make a joke about "how did he balance the books while he was doing arpeggios" but decided it was a more philisophical question.

ah well..... to err is human

"Apparently" he did...

Well I don't know if you really erred, since the question you answered was probably more interesting.

OK.......now we can get back to whether it's "well known."

BTW.......I still have my doubts.
Even though one of my esteemed teachers recommended the same thing. (I always thought it was a little nuts.)

I wouldn't have thought that Liszt considered technical exercises mindless, which I think you basically have to in order to do that kind of thing.

I tried this once reading a couple chapters of Moby Dick while practicing scales and chords. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't too hard either. Mark_C makes a good point though, if this is in fact true then what does this say about our Romantic conceptions of Liszt. Perhaps it says nothing at all, perhaps Liszt only felt music was worthy of deep reflection and that technical exercises were not (since they are not, strictly speaking, music).

In the book "Practicing Perfection" there is a quote by Martha Argerich:

Well now it's really getting interesting.
If it had been at a slightly later age, she could also have used cleavage.

I'd say Liszt would adore ipad.

So Lisitsa can do it, and Liszt can't? I sort of really kind of doubt that.. ahahaha.

Apparently Liszt was good at "multi-tasking."

The ultimate question is not whether to read or not, but what to read?

I'm going to try this with scientific journals, but it may deem to mind absorbing. If it doesn't go well then it's time to try Calvin and Hobbes.

Well I know he was obsessed with Faust. So I'm reading it right now

(seriously, what's the devil obsession)

Wouldn't be surprised that Liszt's made a deal with the devil too haha.

So nobody has a problem with the whole idea of (at least partially) ignoring your practicing?

Once the technical aspect of a particular exercise has been truly ingrained, the act of doing so becomes "automated" and "mindless" so to speak. Only at the point, it would be a wise idea to let your mind wander. During the learning process, it would not be a good idea.

Liszt is not your everyday pianist either, so....