Prodigy

If I ever wind up having to seriously teach piano, I'm going to tack on a postscript at the end of my syllabus. It will be titled "Concerning Your Child Prodigy" and will include this excerpt from Schonberg's fantastic book The Great Pianists.

"In 1770 Mozart, on tour with his father in Italy, gave an exhibition (for it was an exhibition rather than a concert, even though it was "reviewed") at the Reale Accademia in Mantua. At the Accademia there were several professional musicians, and they prepared the program. First one of the boy's symphonies was played. Then he was soloist in a piano concerto that he had to read at sight from manuscript. Then he was supplied with a solo sonata which he not only had to read at sight but also supply with variations; and, that done, he had to transpose the work to another key. Then he had to compose an aria on the spot, to words given him, sing it himself and accompany himself on the clavier. Following this, the concertmaster of the orchestra gave Mozart a theme, and Mozart had to improvise a sonata from it. Then he had to improvise a strict fugue. Then he had to play the violin in a trio. Finally he conducted, from the clavier, one of his own symphonies. Mozart was fourteen years old at the time."

In conclusion, a six-year-old's ability to play Chopsticks does not make him a prodigy.

Mozart Piano Concerto #22

I apologize for my negligence. I feel like I'm drowning in music that I need to learn. Among the music is my lovely Mozart concerto. (As an aside, I love it when, while learning a piece, friends reach the point where they begin calling it "their" piece. Their concerto. Their sonata. I think that it's a milestone in the personal development of the musical learning process. If that makes sense.)

I don't know why pianists don't play this concerto more often. To be honest, this is the piece that sold me on Mozart concertos. I never found them to be particularly interesting or engaging before. Though, it could also be my taste, which (I hope) is expanding and refining.

I could write for ages about how much I love this concerto. But I've only memorized the first movement, so I'll talk about the others later. (I never feel that a piece is really known, internalized, until it's memorized.) I love that it opens with big, triumphant E-flat chords. It reminds me of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto, though maybe with less bravado. It quickly withdraws into a pretty, sweet melody. For four measures. Then the E-flat chords are back! It's so teasing and charming and just delightful. The piano work is brimming with fast scales and arpeggio figurations. It keeps with the charming character, I think.

Listen to an Annie Fischer recording, if you can find one. She doesn't take the piece too seriously, and I think that's key.

Cherubino

Good news: School started last week! Hoorah!

Bad news: The new studio accompanying teacher thought that it would be a brilliant idea to give us all two Mozart aria accompaniments to learn. In a week. And not just any week, but the first week of school. It wouldn’t be so bad. I love Mozart. Really. We’re like blood brothers this semester. But Mozart’s cute little sense of humor makes these arias excessively difficult to play.

The opera is The Marriage of Figaro, and the arias are Cherubino’s. I don’t pretend to know much about opera, but Cherubino is a charming character. He’s a page, meaning he’s 15-ish years old. I would say that he provides comic relief, but I’m pretty sure that this whole opera is one giant comic relief. At any rate, Cherubino sings about how he is plagued by love, and falls deeply in love with every woman he sees (essentially). And we can’t blame him. Falling in love is, after all, one of the favorite pastimes of romantic adolescent boys. The arias themselves would be somewhat serious, except for the fact that they’re played/sung at ludicrously quick tempos. (You can listen to them here and here.) Hence my problem trying to learn them in a week.

They can’t be learned well in a week, I say, after trying very laboriously and neglecting other Mozart and new Chopin in the process. They might even sound a bit sober tomorrow. Quelle horreur, Monsieur Mozart!

The Mozart Effect

So apparently listening to Mozart won't make you more intelligent. It's not about Mozart, it's about music that you enjoy. So, according to Rauscher, "If you love Pearl Jam, you're going to find a Pearl Jam effect." Oh dear. Too bad for all those parents who played Mozart for their unborn children. Personally, I still think it's a good idea. At least there's a chance that the poor, defenseless baby would grow up with even a shred of musical taste.

Prolificacy

This is only funny because I'm fairly certain that it's not nearly as exaggerated as was intended.

I love you, Mozart.