Child Prodigies

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 26 in E flat major, K. 184
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 35
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, ‘Scottish Symphony’

Child prodigies – the term conjures up images of astonishing talent, early mastery and glittering careers. Yet the term also has another side to it: the pressure of expectations, public scrutiny and the challenge of having to live up to the ‘genius’ label bestowed upon them at such an early age for the rest of their lives. Three composers from different eras – and three very individual ways of dealing with early fame: Mozart’s Symphony No. 26 combines lightness and clarity; it displays remarkable compositional mastery during a phase of stylistic refinement and subtle dramatic tension. Korngold crafts his Violin Concerto with a richly iridescent late-Romantic musical language, shaped by his experience as a film composer in Hollywood. In stark contrast, yet equally striking, Mendelssohn’s Third Symphony – inspired by his travels in Scotland – unfolds a soundscape of atmospheric depth and emotional breadth.