Talent as Giftedness

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began composing at the age of four. He toured as a prodigy for three years before the age of ten, astounding audiences with his ability to perform on the harpsichord, voice, organ, and violin. He would compose on sight in different styles and on different instruments. He could “most accurately name from a distance any notes that may be sounded for him either singly or in chords, on the clavier or on every imaginable instrument, including bells, glasses, and clocks.” When his father was recovering from an illness, eight-year-old Wolfgang was not allowed to play the piano. He filled his time by composing his first symphony (K.16) for all instruments of the orchestra. When we hear the word “gifted” in connection with music, the musical prodigy immediately comes to mind. The arguments of recognizing talent through performance, creative endeavors, or music aptitude tests seem incidental in comparison to the possibilities and accomplishments of the musical prodigy. There is no question that these young musicians show incredible levels of musical talent, often exhibiting musical capabilities equal to those of a highly trained adult. Mozart remains the preeminent example of the prodigy, described by his father and teacher as a “God-given miracle,” knowing “in his eighth year what one would expect from a man of forty. Indeed, only he who sees him can believe it.” A prodigy is a child who displays extraordinary talent at an early age. Prodigies occur most often in the field of music, exceeding the total of all other fields combined. Musical prodigies show outstanding abilities at a younger age than other prodigies, with some as young as three or four years old. The field of chess is a distant second place in number, with prodigious achievement often seen at five or six years of age. Relatively few prodigies are identified in the natural sciences, philosophy, dance, or plastic arts. Even the field of mathematics, whose young calculating wonders gain media recognition, have few true prodigies capable of original mathematical reasoning prior to their teen years. The literature offers differing opinions concerning age and prodigious talent.