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Where Are the Prodigies of Yesteryear ?

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Where Are the Prodigies of Yesteryear ? January 3, 1920 M u·s·t ·cAL AMERICA 5 WHERE ARE THE PRODIGIES OF YESTERYEAR ?• Appearances of Nine-Year-Old Maria Antonia and Eight- Year-Old Jerome Rappaport Suggest an Examination of the Careets of Other Won- der-Children - Some Not- able Chiid-Geniuses Who Made Gog.c:L and Have a Recognized, Standing in the Musical Wbrld · · By OSCAR _THOMPSON OMEWHERE a literary wag has put S the drqll question-"What becomes of all these promising young men?" Iri music, the. chasm between promise and achievem~nt is filled with many tragedies and ' bridged always at peril. But the very·; considerable number of really great musi~lans who have reached the high estate predicted for them in youth far from justifies pessimism with regard to the future of unusual musical ~ale;nt that nwnifests itself very early m hfe. ! Within a fortnight;' New York audi- ences have been keyed to a high pitch of enthusiasm by two instances of excep- tional promise, linked wit~ no" mean measure of precocious achievement. Two wonder-children of the piano, Maria Antonia, nine years old, and t Jerome Rappaport; a year younger, have ----t·---- been among the most talked-of recitalists of the season. Audiences in Aeolian Hall went into raptures over them. J Leaving to scientists their favorite in- door sport of analyzing the pyschology of the prodigy, there is no denying that a sort of mystery, with a touch or ffie un- canny in it, plays a part in the sensation which the precocious child-musician in- .variably produces. Wonder~ to what the inscrufable future will bring-the doubt as to whether here is a coming giant or only a freak talent that quickly will burn itself up-plays as great a part, perhaps, in fascinating and in stir- ring unusual interest as the child's actual demonstration of exceptional gifts. The writer described chubby little Maria Antonia as· a Kewpie Carreno, as ·no other term seemed to sum up so well the twin impressions she made. The one, that she was a story-book illustration, who ought to be accompanied by a To"day and Years Before. Above, from left to right: Jerome Rappaport, Erich Korngold and Maria An- nursery jingle, as she tossed her head by Central News Service.) Below: Josef Hofmann, When He Made His New York Debut; Pepito Ar- and hunched her plump little shoulders. Ferrero. · The other, that here was a born pianist, with an instinctive, intuitive feeling for come to either o~ 1these astonishing young called upon one day to play a scale and eleven, following this with tours at thir-· the instrument that was something more pianists. Wheth'er they will drop from could. not. teen and fourteen. He was in his forties than a teacher could give her, and some- sight like Ernst von Lengyel, who, at Pepito Arriola caused a furore in when America first heard him, and his thing apart from her surprising technical eleven was one of the sensations Of Eu- America in ·1910, after having been ac- real European fame did not come to him facility. She hails from Brazil, whence rope, and who died in Berlin in 1915 claimed throughout Europe as one of the until he had passed twenty. came the gifted Guiomar Novaes. The almost forgotten, or whether they will wonder pianists of the age. He made Another Rubinstein, Beryl, the young Brazilian government is said to. be in- ripen into world greatness as Josef Hof- his debut in London at seven. He was American, attracted note in his early terested in her further musical education, mann and not a few other prodigies have twelve when he first played in New York. teens. Guiomar Novaes escaped the and to be sending her to the Paris Con- done, is a riddle that may have to be left His bravura, his variety of nuance, and prodigy classification by her very normal servatoire. Her teacher in Brazil was unsolved for a decade or more. his technical facility were commented on pianistic growth. Henriques Oswald, a highly gifted Prodigies of the piano have not been almost with awe. Arriola played on a Perhaps the most unique prodigy of musician, best known as a composer. numerous in New York of recent years. special piano with the pedals raised three the generation has been Willy Ferrero, Jerome Rappaport is a New York Last" season, Magdeleine Brard attracted inches and the keyboard narrowed to en- the child orchestra conductor, now 13 product, comely and very much self- much attention when she came to able him to encompass the reaches of the years old. Rome and Naples recently contained when before his audience, ex- America at fourteen, a prize winner from music he played. He was especially were in a furore over his leadership of hibiting a precise little bow, a brisk walk, the Paris Conservatoire, whither Maria successful in Liszt numbers. America Symphony concerts, the lad having just has heard little of him since his return emerged from two years' retirement. His to Europe. Alberto Jonas was his recent programs included Beethoven''s teacher. Fifth Symphony and Wagner excerpts. A Few of the Famous Musicians Who Began Their Careers This wonder child is American-born, Some Other Prodigies having first seen the light of day in Port- as Child Prodigies land, Maine, in 1906. His father, an New York did not know Ethel Leginska Italian, is, said to have played every or- Ethel Leginska Mischa Elman as a prodigy-recitalist, as she did not chestral instrument, from the flute to Arthur Rubinstein Jascha Heifetz make her first appearance here until1913. the tuba, and his mother, also Italian, Josef Hofmann Fritz Kreisler She was·, however, as she, herself, has· was a inusiciari. Scient1sts have ample Leopold Godowsky Toscha Seidel described it, "One of those horrid little room here to debate the pros and cons Moriz Rosenthal Albert Spalding nuisances, a wonder child," and she con- of pre-natal influence. fesses to never having had any childish Willy's parents took him to Italy when fun. Of late she has taken to outdoor he was two years old and he has . re- life and athletic sports and has been mained there, save for visits to Paris. quoted as saying she is "just beginning He first conducted an orchestra in the and a world of assurance at the piano, Antonia now is headed. The gulf be- to know what it is to be young." French capital when he was four, and where he has to stretch to reach the tween nine and fourteen is, .of course, In contrast with 1 this,· Arthur Rubin- for a number of months he appeared at pedals. Before his New York recital he wide. The Brard child was nine when stein, who first played in America when the Folies Bergeres. His parents are had been heard privately by noted she entered the Conservatoire, to become in the prodigy class, does not seem to reported to be adverse to exploiting his musicians who acclaimed him a real won- a pupil of Cortot. There, at twelve have missed the fun of life. Now 30 unique gifts and to desire to give him der-child. This, his teacher, Henry she won the Prix d'Excellence and at years old, he has described his life as a technical education. At nine, he was Schroeder, firmly believes him to be. His thirteen the Prix d' H onneur. She had "like a bank account of happiness, to be credited with a command of sixteen dif- playing disclosed much that was surpris- a repertoire ·of more than a hundred added to right along." ferent orchestral programs. ' ing. His finger agility was companioned numbers when in New York, an illus- The name Rubinstein seems to be one· by clarity in definition of themes and by tration of the remarkable musical standing for precocity as well as for un- A Wonder Child Among Composers i ability to produce neat little climaxes. memory that invariably seems to usual pianism. It is recorded that. the Erich Wolfgang Korngold has been the accompany prodigies of the piano. Self- great Anton began his studies at seven generation's child wonder among coni- What Does the Future Hold For Them? taught at first, the girl had mastered. and played before Liszt, Chopin and Only the years can decide what will a number · of "piE!ces":-:. when she was others in Paris in· 1840 when he was [Continued on page 6] .
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