A ‘field crowded with prodigies’? Name them
NewsThe New York Times, whose arts pages resemble an offshoot of PR Week, has published a soft piece on the Spanish violinist Maria Duenas. No harm in that. But the headline reads: ‘A 21-Year-Old Violinist Emerges From a Field Crowded With Prodigies’.
Really? Who are they?
Most violin experts we know say the field has never been lower in top-flight talent. Competition winners have disappointed because many competitions are rigged. Violin professors groom kids to win short-term, not to shine long-term.
No US-born violinist has joined the front rank of soloists since Hilary Hahn, and she’s in her mid-40s.
Where are the crowds of prodigies?
Clue: Not in the NY Times broken viewfinder.
So Randall Goosby isn’t worth your consideration??? Interesting!!! Looking at his forthcoming concerts he is certainly having a top flight career. There are plenty of other violinists under 40 who are worth hearing. At the top of the pack I’d put Augustin Haedlich (ok, he recently turned 40) and Alena Baeva. Both fantastic players, though neither are still prodigies, but they have only really fully established themselves in the last 5 years or so. But perhaps the point they are making is that Maria Duenas has risen above the crowd of prodigies who fill the competition shortlists, go on to win some and then disappear from sight. There are plenty of prodigies who can play just about anything but don’t go on to make a big career. Duenas seems to be succeeding where so many have failed….
Goosby is excellent. Ray Chen, now in his 30s, has carved out an impressive career for himself. As for others in their teens or 20s, Norman has somewhat of a point.
Duenas has been very press shy so I was intrigued to read the piece, though found it kind of dull in the end.
Someone who checks diversity boxes with a “top flight career” with “forthcoming concerts” doesn’t equate to prodigy
“Prodigies” don’t need to be “top flight talent” to still be “prodigies”, just as “top flight talent” doesn’t need to be “another Izhak Perlman” to still be “top flight talent”, just as “Perlman” doesn’t need to be “Heifetz” to still be “Perlman” etc etc…
That is to say, one can keep slicing “prodigies” into finer and finer hierarchical slices, but the bottom pile of prodigies are still prodigies.
The NYT is making a very modest claim, that among prodigy violinists today, Duena stands out, even if none of them is “a Heifetz”.
I agree with Chet — the fact that the field is crowded with prodigies whom we cannot name is exactly the point about prodigies. It’s sink or swim and we only start to pay attention when they reach the swim phase.
If she is really that good she is a welcome addition to what, as you note, is a field not as crowded as they claim.
I would posit Nicola Benedetti as the last really major violin star to emerge — she is seven years younger than Hahn. (Not sure why your reference was only to American-born stars). Most of the rest of the violinists one goes out specifically to see are Hahn’s age and older, young as people like Ehnes and Bell and Chang and Jackiw and Suwanai might look. Vengerov looks his age, despite being younger than the boyish Bell and the ageless Suwanai.
Let’s hope some of these competition winners are as good as they were cracked up to be. Perlman can’t last forever, and it would be good to see some of those behind him grow into something resembling the greatness he has graced us with for so long.
Duenas seems sweet and lovely but is no better than the others really – heard her live don’t get the hype.
It’s never been higher. Lots of players now that skilled across musical styles – classical, jazz, fiddle, etc.
Guido Sant’Anna…