 Of Grainger the pianist , The New York Times critic Harold Schonberg wrote that his unique style was expressed with " amazing skill , personality and vigor " . The early enthusiasm which had greeted his concert appearances became muted in later years , and reviews of his performances during the final ten years of his life were often harsh . However , Britten regarded Grainger 's late recording of the Grieg concerto , from a live performance at Aarhus in 1957 , as " one of the noblest ever committed to record " – despite the suppression of the disc for many years , because of the proliferation of wrong notes and other faults . Brian Allison from the Grainger Museum , referring to Grainger 's early displays of artistic skills , has speculated that had John Grainger 's influence not been removed , " Percy Aldridge Grainger may today be remembered as one of Australia 's leading painters and designers , who just happened to have a latent talent as a pianist and composer " . The ethnomusicologist John Blacking , while acknowledging Grainger 's contribution to social and cultural aspects of music , nevertheless writes that if the continental foundation of Grainger 's musical education had not been " undermined by dilettantism and the disastrous influence of his mother , I am sure that his ultimate contribution to the world of music would have been much greater " . 
