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Prodigies are individuals who possess unusual, exceptional, or unprecedented talents demonstrating adept mastery of a certain subject, art, or skill at an early age. The areas in which prodigies are more prominently found include music, mathematics, and chess. Scientists are still baffled as to what contributes to the flourishing of knowledge. Some argue that it is a matter of nurture, whereas others believe that nature is the key.
Some famous music prodigies include:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is arguably one of history's best known music prodigies. He began playing the piano at age 3, and composed significant works at age 5.
Georges Bizet, renowned French composer, attended the Paris Conservatoire at age 9.
Isaac Albeniz, Spanish piano prodigy and composer, began playing the piano at age 4, and entered the Royal Conservatory of Music at age 8.
Franz Liszt, one of the greatest pianists of his era gave a major concert at age 11.
Franz Schubert, Austrian composer, began composing prior to age 12, and wrote over 600 art songs before passing away at age 32.
Frederic Chopin, French-Polish pianist and composer, began writing polonaises at the age of 7.
Lang Lang, concert pianist, started playing piano at age 3.
Yo-Yo Ma, cello prodigy, began playing at age 4
Martha Argerich, Argentinian concert pianist, had her orchestral debut at the age of 8.
Derek Trucks, guitar prodigy, began playing at age 9.
Vanessa Mae, violin prodigy began playing at age 5.
Charlotte Church, vocal prodigy, began performing at age 3.
This list provides only a mere few of the countless music prodigies who have graced this planet with their remarkable talents.
Below is a link to a video of Martha Argerich performing an excerpt from Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto.
Martha Argerich plays Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto
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A musician's job is not a simple one. As the common expression states, "There's No Business Like Show Business." It is one of the few professions which requires truly rigorous physical and mental work on a daily basis. Musicians are not paid for the long grueling hours of solitude spent in the practice room, or the seemingly eternal repetition of one particular passage at a rehearsal. It is only the final, refined product presented to the public on concert day which produces revenue.
Only a certain kind of person can pursue this career. Surely it is not for the weak at heart. It takes nerves of steel to perform in front of a sea of spectators eagerly waiting to hear when you will hit a wrong note, or trip, or even worse, stop abruptly during the middle of a performance. Becoming a professional musician demands willpower, ambition, creativity, and passion. Some personality traits needed for success include: self-confidence, resilience to bounce back from criticism or failure, charisma, great stage presence, consistency in the ability to reproduce passages accurately, a competitive nature, sensitivity to emotion, tolerance for drill and repetition, innovation, and a vivid imagination.
In addition, a musician must have great physical endurance, solid memory, good hand-eye coordination, be able to learn quickly, and have the ability to adapt to sudden changes. A natural talent for music is always a bonus, because after all, music is a form of intelligence. The main goal is to hone and refine that talent. Great listening skills are also a necessity. Imagine an orchestra filled with players who were tone deaf...any attempt at a performance would prove to be an utter disaster!!
Most importantly, regardless of whether a musician is the concert master, or the worst musician in modern history: practice, practice, and more practice makes perfect. The only path towards progress is diligent hard work. As another common saying goes: "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."
In essence, the musician is truly a remarkable individual. All of these components constitute the musical personality. Of course, the list could go on for infinity, but that would be impractical.
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Glenn Gould the eccentric mastermind
Glenn Gould, (September 25, 1932-October 4, 1982), was a Canadian pianist renowned for his exceptional performances and recordings of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is probably the most celebrated artist of the 20th century acclaimed for his impeccable technical proficiency, clarity of sound, unique piano technique, and above all his eccentric personality.
Gould was a child prodigy and regarded as a musical phenomenon throughout his adult performance career. His interpretations ranged from being brilliantly creative and innovative, to quirky and unconventional. He was known for being able to maintain the utmost clarity and finger independence even at extremely rapid tempos. He was especially renowned for his ability to clearly articulate both the left and right hand melodies in contrapuntal passages.
Gould rarely practiced on the piano, preferring to study music by reading it rather than playing it. He is noted as stating that he could not conceive why other pianists insisted on practicing several hours a day. Another of Gould's remarkable gifts was an acute memory, which allowed him to build a vast repertoire. He recorded Bach's entire Well-Tempered Clavier, all of the English and French Suites, half of the Art of Fugue, Beethoven's five Piano Concertos, and 23 of the 32 Beethoven sonatas. He was averted to prominent composers like Chopin and Mozart and favored lesser known composers like Orlando Gibbons.
Gould had severe stage anxiety and detested the concert hall, comparing it to a "competitive sporting arena." He often cancelled performances at the last minute, and was convinced that the public concert with an audience and the tradition of applause was a force of evil. He wrote a treatise entitled "GPAADAK" the Gould Plan for the Abolition of Applause and Demonstrations of All Kinds."
Gould's quirks did not stop there however. He often hummed, grunted, and crooned while he played. He claimed that it was subconscious, and increased depending on the ability of the piano which he was using to realize the music as he intended it to be. Some of Gould's producers in the recording studio criticized him for the background vocalise during his recordings. On the concert stage Gould was noted for his peculiar body movements during performances which included: circular swaying in a clockwise motion, conducting with a free hand while playing with the other, and grasping the air as if reaching for notes.
Gould insisted on sitting exactly 14 inches above the floor, and only sitting in a chair which his father made for him when he was younger. The room temperature had to be meticulously regulated so that it was extremely warm. Prior to performances he would soak his hands in scalding hot water to keep them from going numb. Gould detested the cold. Even when the weather was unbearably hot, he always wore heavy clothing including gloves, a coat, and mittens. At one point he was arrested because officials thought that he was a vagrant while sitting on a park bench in Sarasota, FL.
To continue with Gould's inexhaustible list of eccentricities, he despised social functions and had an extreme aversion to touch. Once while preparing to rehearse at Steinway Hall in New York, one of the piano technicians greeted Gould with a pat on the back. Gould instantly went into shock, then afterwards complained of aches, lack of coordination, and fatigue. He even considered pursuing a litigation suit. Gould also refrained from giving handshakes and often wore gloves.
In Gould's later life he developed a terrible paranoia, assuming that someone was trying to poison him, and others were spying on him. Throughout his lifetime Gould had been preoccupied with his health, constantly checking his blood pressure, recording his body temperature, and fretting over the safety of his hands. In his final days this obsession spiraled out of control and Gould began keeping logs of his vital signs at nearly every hour of the day. He suffered a stroke on September 27, 1982 which paralyzed the entire left side of his body, and remained hospitalized until passing away on October 4th.
Below are links to view Glenn Gould in action:
Glenn Gould Practicing Bach
Gould in the Recording Studio
First Movement of Concerto No. 1 in D Minor by J.S. Bach
Gould Speaks about the Art of Fugue Shared on
Musicians use both the left and right hemispheres of the brain in order to complete their work. As a classical pianist, I can attest to the various intricacies involved with making music. Not only do I have to analyze the notes and various symbols in the score, I have to interpret the message which the composer was trying to convey, balance the ensemble of both my left and right hands, pay attention to the subtleties and nuances of phrasing and dynamics, create an original performance which I can truly call my own, and portray a work of art which influences an audience. The skill sets involved with making music can be applied in virtually every other profession. It requires patience, dedication, the ablitity to focus for a long period of time, the ability to interpret various symbols, effective communication skills, creativity, and much, much more. Playing an instrument whether it is piano, flute, saxophone, violin, etc., is not simply a physical task, but a mental one as well
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A portrait of Beethoven at work
Ludwig van Beethoven is best known for daring to defy the norms of classical music. He was the first great composer to make a living as a freelance artist rather than depending on the aristocracy for employment as a court musician. He broke the barriers for composing during the era known as the classical period. Beethoven's works demonstrate a genuine sense of power, magnificence, and brilliance. The piano has eighty-eight keys today as a result of his constant demands for higher or lower pitches. Prior to his arrival, the instrument ranged from seventy to seventy-five keys. Today's musicians whether they are composers, arrangers, or performers are indebted to Beethoven for his wilingness to think outside the box and diverge from the status quo. Otherwise, there would be so many rules and restrictions that composing or performing music would be a practical joke or Herculean task. Who knows, perhaps musicians would still be having to find grace in the sight of the aristocrats! Thanks to the great maestro, the world of music as a whole continues to expand throughout the modern society
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Talented, gifted, intellectual, and precocious are a mere few of the numerous adjectives which my family members, instructors, and peers use to describe me, yet what do these words reveal about who I truly am? I cannot be summarized in an enumeration of terms alone. I am a unique character. I possess an inquisitive mind, always seeking to acquire more knowledge, and question the world around me. This determination leads to my quest to excel in all aspects of life whether it is academically, artistically, or socially. I graduated from high school at the age of 16 among the top 5 percent of students in the nation earning recognition in Who's Who Among American High School Students, the National Honor Roll, and membership in the National Society of High School Scholars.
Classical music has played a major role in my life. When I was two years old I boldly annonunced to my parents that I wanted to be a concert pianist and implored that they purchase a piano for me after watching a performance on PBS. My dream finally became a reality when I was 5 years old. I had my first piano lessons under the tutelage of my father. The following year I gave my first public concert. At age 7 my parents enrolled me at the Conservatory of Fine Arts in Miami, FL after my father realized that I was exceptionally talented and would have to receive more formal training. I went on to win numerous prizes at regional talent shows, and at age 11 gave a 2-hour solo debut at the Cultural Arts Center in Royal Palm Beach, FL. A few years after that I was featured among renowned concert artists at the Guild for International Piano Competitions
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Comment by Myrsha Lazarre
on An Eccentric Genius
Arpeggio Notes