Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-02-24
PRECOCIrY AND ITS RESULTS.
Some Interesting Facts About Interesting
People in Their Youth.

HcOpl0 IN I00lr IOuCns
It is often said that precocious intel
lects are doomed to future the reverse
of what their early brilliancy presages.
Exactly how belief so at varience with
fact has gained credence is not readily
applicable. The brightest stars that
have illumed the musical world are
those that have displayed meteoric
youth. MendelssOhn, prior to his sixth
birthday, had, by his powerful memory,
sensitive ear and delicate conception,
won for himself the admiration of critics
and large share of popular esteem.
Berger, Hemming and Zelter became
his precepters. His debut in Berlin at
the age of nine was an unqualified arts
tic triumph and in the succeeding year
he created furore on his inaugural ap-
pearance before the Partisan public.
His music to the Midsummer Nights
Dream" was written when he was a
little beyond seventeen, and this, to-
gether with the songs and oratOries of
ST. Paul and Elijah, constitute his heir
itage. Meyerbeer is another instance
OF Juvenile promise faithfully fulfilled.
He made his initial appearance at the
age Of six, and by his nineth year had
attained international fame and was re-
garded as the best pianist in musical
Berlin. In his fifth year little GiacomO
could extemporize with grace and play
at sight. His first operas. being built
on purely technical basis, met with no
popular favor. His success as q com
poser was made posterior to his journey
TO Italy, where he imbibed love for
the Italian method and hencefOrward
initiated it.
Mozart sprang from musical family.
Dulcet tenderness was the predominant
feature of his mind and his heart seems
to have been the embodiment and in
carnation of melody and pathos. Mozart
the elder was, in his generation, vio-
linist of distinction. Mozart the junior
at the tender age of four composed sew
eral tuneful minutes which have been
preserved in the music books of his Sis
ter Maria. His first public appearance
was in the university hall of his native
Salzburg during his fifth year. The
accounts of this performance dwell
rapturiously upon the beauties of his
playing. Although feted and lionized
by royalty his life was pecuniary
struggle and oft wrought with perjury
and want. After composing the re.
QUEEN he died at the premature age of
thirty-six and was buried in a pauper's
grave. Nothing can succeed in sad
ness the career of this man and no
career could be more caustic common
tary upon the Wanted charity of socie-
ty.
Ludwig Won Beethoven was born at
Bonn in ITO. His father was musical
mediocrist of dissolute habits. Young
Ludwig was prodigy, though the glor-
ious promise of his future was blurred
by deafness in 1902, but he continued to
compose till his death in 1927 at Vienna.
In 1916 statute was erected to him in
the Munsterplatz, but his 'Fidelis" and
Mount of Olives" are more enduring
monument than piles of stone.
Schumann. Haydn and Handel merit
conspicous places in the category of
phenomena, Adele aus der Ohe, Patti,
Oembrich, Salchi, Sontag and Gerster
were precocious but space prevents due
tribute to their genius.
The triumphs of little Hoffman are
still fresh in the minds of news readers,
but whether the extraordinary promise
of this wonder will be substantiated re-
mains for time to determine.
Jeanne DOuste at the age of five and
half was famed for her Interpretation
of the masters and her piano skill.
Metastasio, the father of Italian opera,
poetry at ten, as did
Adam Oehlensclaeger, the laureate OF
the Scandinavia tongue.
Theodore Hook produced his we'll
nigh inimitable Soldiers Return" at
seventeen; John Howard Payne edited
the Thespian Mirror with marked abil-
ity at thirteen, while John .O'Keef in