by Rebecca Cochran
We’ve all heard comments like this: “Wow! Mozart composed that when he was only 10 years old!” Or, “This 7-yr. old Suzuki student played the Tchaikovsky Concerto from memory! Incredible!” Musical prodigies seem to be everywhere.
I distinctly recall a conversation, many years ago, with my teacher and mentor, Louis Moyse. I had discovered a new recording featuring some of Bach’s earliest cantatas and I was sharing them with Louis. As we were listening, I commented that a particular cantata was thought to be one of the first that Bach had composed. I probably said something like, “Wow! For such an early work, this cantata is incredible!”
Louis looked at me and said, “But, dear, this is by Bach. Age doesn’t matter with Bach.”
It was a point well taken.
We’ve all heard comments like this: “Wow! Mozart composed that when he was only 10 years old!” Or, “This 7-yr. old Suzuki student played the Tchaikovsky Concerto from memory! Incredible!” Musical prodigies seem to be everywhere.
I distinctly recall a conversation, many years ago, with my teacher and mentor, Louis Moyse. I had discovered a new recording featuring some of Bach’s earliest cantatas and I was sharing them with Louis. As we were listening, I commented that a particular cantata was thought to be one of the first that Bach had composed. I probably said something like, “Wow! For such an early work, this cantata is incredible!”
Louis looked at me and said, “But, dear, this is by Bach. Age doesn’t matter with Bach.”
It was a point well taken.
RSS Feed