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There are many famous child music prodigies. The most famous is certainly Mozart in the 18th Century, but there have been many others in the 19th and 20th Century. The clothing they wore for their performances were often examples of contemporary formal boys'
clothing. Often as they began to grow up their parents liked to keep dressing them in juvenile clothes to emphasize that they were childhood prodigies. I've just begun this page, but would be interested in any comments or contributions by HBC viewers. Here are some of the child prodigies I know of any available information on how they were dressed as boys:
Segovia, Andrés (Spain, 1893?- ): Andrés Segovia was the seminal force in the development of the guitar as a concert instrument in the 20th century. He made his public debut in Granada in 1909, at the age of 16 years, and established his reputation in his native country with appearances in Madrid, Barcelona, and other leading centers of Spanish music during the next several years. His tour of South Americain 1919 created a sensation, as did his debuts in Paris (1924), Moscow (1926), and New York (1928).
Segovia's aims for the guitar, however, extended far beyond merely establishing a career for himself as a virtuoso. "From my youthful years," he wrote, "I dreamed of raising the guitar from the sad artistic level in which it lay. Since then, I have dedicated my life to four essential tasks.Thefirst: to separate the guitar from
mindless folklore-type entertainment. My second purpose: to make the beauty of the guitar known to the public of the entire world. The third task: that of influencing the authorities at conservatories, academies, and universities to include the guitar in their instruction programs on the same basis as the violin, cello, piano, etc. And my fourth item of labor: to endow it with a repertory of high quality, made up of
works possessing intrinsic musical value, from the pens of composers accustomed to writing for orchestra, piano, violin, etc. The first symphonic composer to heed my request, offering to collaborate with me, was Federico Moreno Torroba." Moreno was the last of the great Spanish Romantics.
Sgouros, Dmitris (Greece, 1974- ): Dmitris at 14 years of age perfor ed one of the best Rachmaninoff Nr. 3 concertos ever recorded. He played several times at the TV (more than all other prodigy children
around the world). He was compared with Maria Callas who was from Greece as he. It was said he could play the 2nd Brahms concerto after reading one time. I remember having seen him in short pants at the age of 12 playing the 1st ballada by Chopin. It was during 4 years when he was regularly accompanied by the press. This was in 1988, and since that he has disappeared.
Simons, Hendrik (Nethrerlands, 1955- ): Heintje is a very popular boy singer/actor in the Netherlands. His full name is Hendrik Simons, born on August 12, 1955, in Kerkrade, Netherlands. The town is in the Limburg province near the Dutch/German border, and that may explain why Heintje sang mostly in German, sometimes in Dutch, and also in English. His recordings were very popular in Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, and some Chinese bloggers write of hearing his songs and seeing some his films. Heintje's first well-known hit song was "Mama" in German, released in 1967. His songs are sentimental, very gentle and wholesome. One of his songs in English is "I'm Your Little Boy", in which he sings that even when he's been bad, he's very sorry because he loves mom, and that if ever she went away he couldn't sleep a day "cause you're the best mama in the world." Heintje appeared in about a half dozen German made films from 1968 - 1971. They are made for a young audience and are somthing of a vehicle for Heintje's songs. Heintje's singing career ended as his voice changed, but in the 1990's he made something of a comeback, calling himself Hein Simons now. (Heintje is a little boy nickname for Hendrik.) There are some You Tube clips of Heintje singing from one of his films, and he has a website, heinsimons.com, that is quite comprehensive. There is also a recording of "I'm Your Little Boy" online.
Stern, Issac (Russia/U.S., 1920- ): HBC has not yet had time to research Issac Stern in any detail. We know that he is considered by most musical experts to be one of the greatest musicians of all time. One scholar hailed Stern as "one of the supreme violinists of this century". He also has been called "the first American violin virtuoso." He calls himself "a fiddle player." Issac was born on July 21, 1920, at Kreminiwcz, Russia. Before Issac was less than 1-year old, his parents in 1921 fled with him from the caos and fighting of the Russian Revolution and subsequent civi war between the Reds and Whites. The Stern family settled in San Francisco, California. Stern of course does not remember Russia as he left at such an early age. His parents were talented musisians in their own right. His mother studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. She began teaching Issac the piano when he was 6 years old. Issac began playing the Violin at the advanced age 8 years. Most violin prodigies began at an earlier age. It was not until age 13-14 that he made his first public recital with the San Francisco Symphony playing a Brahms Violin Concerto. Some biographers clainm his debut was at age 11, so we are not sure at this time. Issac 2 yerars later at the age of 16 launched his professional career. He performed with Naoum Blinder, his major teacher and concertmaster of the orchestra. On October 11, 1937, at the age of 17, he made his New York debut at Town Hall. In 1943, he debuted at Carnegie Hall, and in 1944, with the New York Philharmonic under Arthur Rodzinski. He played with the New York Philharmonic for more than 4 decades. A reader reports, "It is my understanding that the impression of dressing a prodigy younger than they were went on in the 20th century. Isaac Stern is a good example of this. In his case it was done to make him look younger and thus more remarkable than he really was."
Stretton, Gordon (England, 1887-1982): Jazz is often seen as an African-American musical genre. This may be essentially true, at least in its origins, but it sent ripples out, at first affecting white American music culture and eventually Europe. One of those ripples was Gordon Stretton. Gordon Stretton was born in Liverpool as William Masters. His father was of African, probably African-Caribbean. His mother was Welsh, Ann J Masters Nee Williams (1862- ). He came from from a poverty-stricken childhood. This was not unudual in Liverpool among the working class, but William's childhood was also racially marginalized. he was an unrcognized child prodigy. The prodigies we are familiar with are parents with means or who found patrons. The young William had no such advantages. He cerainly had no drum set. His talentbemtged as a yiung dancer and singer. He proved to be a pioneer. Liverpool today is known as a hot bed of popular nusic. It is of course where the Beatles emerged. Stretton was interestingly the first important international music figure to energe from Liverpool. As a child, he played with Charlie Chaplin in the 'Lancashire Lads Dancing Troupe'. He toured Britain as a member of a Jamaican choir (1908). He performed in locales including London and Paris, eventualy settling in Buenos Aires. He gained fame as a spectacular jazz drummer (1910s). He recorded in New York Ciuty with the Syncopated Jazz Band ('Satanic Blues'/'Lucky Dog Blues' (1921). He led the Orchestre Syncopated Six in Paris, recording 'Fate' and 'Tu Verras'. (1923). He founded Gordon Stretton's Symphonic Jazz Band in Buenos Aires (1929).
Thibaud, Jacques (France, 1880-1953): Jacques Thibaud was born in Bordeaux in 1880. His graceful, elegant style of the Franco-Belgian viloin school. His father was a music teacher, at wanted Jacques to be a pianist, but it was the violin that young Jacques loved. His first recital was at age 8 years. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at age 12 and studied under Martin Marsick. He palyed poorly in the 1894 contest, but took a first prize in 1896. Edouard Colonne heard him in the Paris Café Rouge and recruited for his orchestra. When the leader was not able to play the Prélude to le Saint-Saint-Saëns Le Déluge, Thibaud substituted for him and was soon a regular soloist, appearing 54 times in the 1898-99 season. He toured America in 1903-04 and his success made him into a recognized master.
Thibaud helped set up the Ecole Normale. He was a friend of the pianist Marguerite Long. The two reciorded together and established a school and musical competition which bear
their names. Thibaud loved to teach. He taught both at the school, and in summer at his St Jean de Luz estate on the Bay of Biscay near Beritz. One of his important students was American prodigy Grisha Goluboff during the early 1930s. Thibaud died in 1953 when the plane taking him on an Asian tour crashed on Mont Cemet, near Barcelonette.
Tomokazu Murakami: (Japan, 1980- ) Tomokazu Murakami was a boy soparano singer. He isn't well-known now because boy soparanoa are not especially popular in Japan and he performed in the late-1980s and early-90s.
Tyler, Cyril: (United States, 1890s) We have virtually no information on Cyril Tyler, except that he was billed as a phenomenal boy soprano. A portrait of him was taken in New Yourl City. It is undated, bit looks to have been taken in the 1890s. Cyril wears short curls and an all white outfit including a fancy Fauntleroy blouse. He looks to be about 13 years old.
Underwood, Willie F.: (United States, 1851?- ) We have been able to find virtually no information on this American child prodigy. He is, however, of special interest becuause we have obtained a quarter-plate daguerreotype of him. This is the oldest photographic image that we have of any prodigy. The boy is identified in the intact full-case as Willie F. Underwood, and dated 1855. He looks to be about 4 or 5 years old. Willie appears seated on a draped stool or chair with the drapery slightly tinted red. The boy is dressed in finery that only a mother could love, with ruffles, velvet, and the wildest plaid stockings.
Ustinovsky, Vova (Russia, 1950?- ): We note Russian boy violin prodigy V. Ustinovsky in the 1950s. This press photo was captioned. "Prodigy: Shown during a practice session is 5 year-old Vova Ustinovsky, son of a Russian metal worker, Vova woin such a reputation as a musician that the Soviet Ministry of Culture has placed him in the Leningrad Conservatory for further training." We know nothing more about his music career.
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