Evening star., 1929-06-30
CHILD PRODIGIES
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN.

midst of the performance his Italian
prina donna was seized with mt, OF
temperament and refused TO sing her
part. She forgot that she was opposing
another musical temperament. Handel,
powerful man, seized the petite singer
and held her out of window several
stories high. He declared he would drop
her to the street below unless sSe
agreed to sing. Sne agreed.
Mozart played at the age of years,
and at was a composer. Schubert
played several instruments including
the difficult violin at 5, started at
conservatory of music at 6, at z had
outStripped his teachers, and by 13 had
80 pages of composition to his credit
Mendelssohn gave his first public per-
formaace which was musical success as
such and not merely Show-oh OF
child prodigy, at the age of 8 years
During the year he was II he composed
60 pieces of music. When he was IL he
composed full symphonies.
Heredity Plays Part.
The question of heredity influence
is difficult to determine, although in the
matter of musicians it seems stronger.
Although Beethoven's grandfather,
musician, died when the lad was only
years old, the great composer always
remembered him and said that his
life had been Influenced by the old
music master. His own father was not
musician. Beethoven began his studies
at the age of years.
Sir Arthur Sullivan's father was a
bandmaster in the army and at the
age of 10 years young Arthur could
play every instrument in his fathers
band. The parents Of other composers
were musical.
In other lines there seems to be no
hereditary connection. Child prodigieS
seem to come, as the old poem has it.
"out of the nowhere into the here.
However, it is known that generations
may pass and the talent of for
bear reappear in a child after having
lain dormant for century or more.
Edward Roche Hardy is a child prod
igy who has been attracting much at
tention for some years. A New York
baby, he matriculated at New York
University at the age of 5. At that age
he spoke four languages and knew
arithmetic. At 10 he passed the Har-
ward entrance examinations. He en-
tered Columbia University at II, know
ing at that time a dozen languages. BY
the time he was Is he knew Is Ian
guages At IA he had won the Phi
Beta Kappa key which is given only
to those of unusual scholastic attain
ments He received the degree of
bachelor of arts at Is and masters
degree at 16.
Young Hardy is apparently nor
NAL, healthy boy He likes out-of-door
sports and has never scorned childrens
| games. An oddity of his earlier years
is that he had great difficulty in solv--
ing even children's puzzles.
There is much to be said for heredity
and environment in his case. His mother.
holds three university degrees and his
| father is a member sof the faculty of
a university. He was taught very large
ly at home There is much evidence
to indicate that home-taught children
develop more rapidly. Out of many
cases investigated, it is shown that
children taught at home for the first
few years of school age are able to enter
classes two or three years ahead of their
contemporaries who have attended reg
ular classes Quite few children in
| these times see the inside of school
room for the first time upon entering
| high school or college. The elementary
work Is done at home