In the fast lane: Child prodigies in classical music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s talent, which was recognised at an early age – as was that of his highly gifted sister Maria Anna – was so strongly encouraged by his ambitious father Leopold that the family was able to derive enormous financial benefit from it. Leopold organised concert appearances and tours to present his offspring to the sensation-seeking public as a virtuoso. He also arranged composition commissions, which his son was expected to fulfil on time – a lot of work and pressure for a young man. No question: life in the fast lane has its price.

Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Liszt and Clara Schumann were also outstandingly gifted – as they are known in academia today, as no talent develops without support. In the age of virtuosity, they inspired as children and as adults at the piano. What all three had in common was that they were also exceptionally talented as composers. Erich Wolfgang Korngold, on the other hand, son of the respected Viennese music critic Julius Korngold, stood out as a prodigy in the field of composition from the very beginning. Born in 1897, the eleven-year-old caused a sensation with his ballet pantomime Der Schneemann. However, the Jewish composer’s symphony, presented here by chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, was not written until 1954 while he was in exile in America.

The Berliner Philharmoniker are closely associated with a number of prodigies of our time: Herbert von Karajan “discovered” both Anne-Sophie Mutter, who made her debut with the orchestra at the age of 13, and Evgeny Kissin, who first appeared as a 17-year-old in 1988. Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim – both highly talented as children, and friends who grew up in Argentina – are still regular guests in Berliner Philharmoniker concerts today.