Birthday boy beats Mozart

When we think of a child-genius, it is natural to think of Mozart. He was performing and composing at the age of five. But other composers also began very early. And some even surpassed his considerable feats.

Did you know that Chopin wrote pieces from the age of seven that were much more demanding to write and play than many of the pieces that Wolfie wrote, even in his maturity?

But the one who really impresses me is Camille Saint-Saëns, born on 9th October, 1835.

Consider this: at the age of two he could already read and write, and was picking out melodies on the piano. He began composing shortly after his third birthday, and by the age of five had given his first piano recital.

At seven he was reading Latin, studying botany and investigating butterflies (the last of which he continued to do for the next eighty years).

When he was ten he made his formal debut as a concert pianist, performing a Mozart piano concerto in B flat and Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto in C Minor. For an encore, he offered to play any of the thirty-two Beethoven piano sonatas from memory!

Beat That!

When we think of a child-genius, it is natural to think of Mozart. He was performing and composing at the age of five. But other composers also began very early. And some even surpassed his considerable feats.

Did you know that Chopin wrote pieces from the age of seven that were much more demanding to write and play than many of the pieces that Wolfie wrote, even in his maturity?

But the one who is impressing me at the moment is Camille Saint-Saëns. Consider this: at the age of two he could already read and write and was picking out melodies on the piano. He began composing shortly after his third birthday, and by the age of five had given his first piano recital.

At seven he was reading Latin, studying botany and investigating butterflies [the last of which he continued to do for the next eighty years].

When he was ten he made his formal debut as a concert pianist, performing a Mozart piano concerto in B flat and Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto in C Minor. For an encore, he offered to play any of the thirty-two Beethoven piano sonatas from memory!

Would you like to hear Mitchell Con's newest teacher?

The link below, from David Pereira's own website, is of a beautiful recording of him playing one of the best-loved pieces for the cello. You can simply click on it, and listen, or right click and save the file to your computer.
David Pereira and Anna Johnstone performing The Swan, by Camille Saint-Saëns.

But if you'd like to hear a concert performance, please check out the details of concerts coming up shortly at David's website.

There is also a great concert, not advertised there, to be held on Tuesday, 5th October, at 7.30 PM at St Paul's Anglican Church,205 Burwood Rd, Burwood.

The concert includes Messiaen's marvellous Quartet For The End Of Time and Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel.

The quartet performing are
Alan Vivian - clarinet
Anna McMichael - violin
Tamara Anna Cislowska - piano
David Pereira - cello