Whatever one’s view, there is no question that prodigies and gifted children are different. For some, the parading of prodigious children on talent contests and chat shows, where they might be required to perform “tricks” such as improvisation on random notes pulled out of hat, is akin to watching a circus act. Meanwhile, others may display a cynicism towards prodigious children: the critic Philip Hensher has commented that “ serious art music could never be written by a child” and some point to the fact that young children lack the requisite knowledge, emotional intelligence or life experience to bring meaning or insight to the complex music they play that they simply imitate others. True prodigies are able to function at an advanced adult level in a facility such as music, maths or chess before the age of 12, and so we marvel at these talented young people who seem to demonstrate, at their tender age, the very heights of human achievement. Why do prodigies, and specifically musical prodigies, fascinate us and provoke so much awed attention? Fundamentally, it’s the incongruity of seeing a child, especially a very young child, engaging in what is generally regarded as an adult activity for which substance, maturity, emotional depth and artistry are essential ingredients. This is in part due to a certain “Olympics syndrome” – a competitiveness amongst parents to push their children to greater things and to compete against other children, and their parents. Musical prodigies are not a new phenomenon – Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Mendelssohn were all described as prodigies – and so these modern “mini Mozarts” are following in a long tradition.ĭaniel Barenboim, himself often described as a “child prodigy”, has suggested that these remarkable children as only prodigies in the eyes of their parents, and it’s true that some parents regard a special aptitude in a particularly young child as a sign of “giftedness”.
We marvel at their prowess, their facility and, more often than not, the extraordinary fleetness of their little fingers, as they rattle off Chopin’s most challenging Etudes or entire piano concertos. We’ve all seen them on YouTube – the tiny child at the vast piano playing technically and musically advanced repertoire. Synonyms: child genius, genius, wonder child, wunderkind “ a Russian pianist who was a child prodigy in his day” a young person with exceptional qualities or abilities.
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