Customer Reviews

Musical Prodigies - Perilous Journeys, Remarkable Lives (Hardcover)

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Skim the introduction. Page through the many biographical sketches, most of which seem to be mainly gee-whiz material detailing the great accomplishments of each prodigy at early ages, but providing few insights into what, really, makes them tick. Turn to the back.

The essay by Bejun Mehta, discussing his own development, gives us precisely what's missing from so much of the literature on musically-gifted children: a first-person account by a prodigy, that goes beyond the surface and explains, clearly and simply, what it's like to be one. Read it. Show it to your friends.

Interesting stories about well-known musicians. I ordered this because I knew one of
the people written up in the book. Well researched.

As a pianist, I bought this book thinking that it would give me a deep insight into prodigies and was a bit dissapointed. It's well written as an overview/survey but is not very deep. Other than Bejun Mehta's personal essay, this book doesn't delve very deeply into the psyche/emotions/life and long term psychological journeys of prodigies. As a classical pianist, I was dissapointed with the chapter on Cliburn which was basically a collection from quotes from published sources but very little, if any, personal thoughts and real honest to goodness information about Cliburn as a person and a pianist. The author is a cellist and there's a certain bias towards string players in this book. Overall, this is a good introduction to the world of prodigies but those seeking a deeper/more detailed analysis/insight into prodigies should look elsewhere.