After graduating with high distinction from the Conservatoire at the age of 17, De Greef went to Weimar to complete his studies under Franz Liszt. He was a pupil of Liszt for two years.[2]
Following the Weimar sojourn, De Greef embarked on a career as a concert pianist, travelling widely. He was a friend of Edvard Grieg, whose Piano Concerto he had played publicly in 1898, and who called him "the best performer of my music I have met with". In addition, he enjoyed the endorsement of Camille Saint-Saëns. British critic Jonathan Woolf has written: "De Greef was, in all respects, an intensely musical, non-sensationalist, eloquent and impressive musician and whilst not being averse to some of the interventionist tactics of his contemporaries (retouching of the score) remained sympathetically self-effacing".[2]
De Greef composed a sizeable quantity of music, virtually all of which is now unknown. Among his works are two piano concertos. He was a devoted teacher, and taught piano at the Brussels Conservatoire for many years.[2]
Suite for Orchestra in G (sometimes referred to as Flemish Suite)
Autumn Impressions
Four Flemish songs with accompaniment of Vielles
Ballade in Form von Variationen über ein flämisches Volkslied (Ik zag Cecilia komen)
Concertante works
Fantasy on Flemish Folk Songs for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 3 (1892)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in C minor (1914)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B minor (1930)[4]
Cinq chants d'amour, for Soprano and Orchestra
Piano Concertino (Concerto pour piano et petit orchestre)
Chamber music
Quatre pièces caractéristiques pour violon et piano (ca. 1883).
Sonata No. 1 in D for violin and piano (1896)
Sonata No. 2 in C for violin and piano
Six New Concert Studies
Trio in F for violin, cello, and piano (1935)
Piano
Coucher de Soleil
Slanting rays of the sun (1913; Orchestrated version exists)
Five études in concert form (Cinq études de concert) (1914–1918)
Sonata in C minor for 2 Pianos (1928; 2 pianos)
Valse-caprice (2 Pianos)
Recordings
His was the first complete recording of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, but he had earlier recorded a cut version. He also recorded with Isolde Menges.[5]
^A scan of the original handwritten score available at https://uurl.kbr.be/1842245 reveals that it is in B minor, not B-flat as is sometimes given. (Its original title specifies "si mineur" and its key signature is two sharps.)