Famous pianists that aren't prodigies

[charmsjr94]

With all these posts about kids wanting to be professionals, I was wondering which famous pianists weren't considered prodigies growing up, people who made it the hard way practicing hours upon hours. With all the child prodigies in the world, it's reassuring to hear about people who made it with effort.

[keyboardclass]

You won't hear of any.  Maybe .01%.

[zeusje]

I think I heard Alfred Brendel once say about himself that he thought he wasn't a prodigy. Some interview on television.

[latrobe]

On radio last night Adolfo Barabino said that he did not have lessons till he was 11.*

He also had interesting observations about practice - its not at the end of the day about technique - it's about sound - because that is what music is.

https://www.pianomasterclass.info is interesting for anyone who might be interested in experiencing more of how to produce a wonderful sound without having been a child prodigy . . .

Best wishes

David P

* Here it is from his own lips -

[sevencircles]

Volodos wasn´t a prodigy he started really late.

Same is true when it comes to Richter and Andsnes (to some degree at least) 

[nyiregyhazi]

He also had interesting observations about practice - its not at the end of the day about technique - it's about sound - because that is what music is.

How can sound be produced without technique? If a "technique" is not defined in part as being that which provides the ability to produce the sounds you wish, it's a poor definition of technique.

[keyboardkat]

Horowitz claimed he had not been a prodigy.  He said he had had terrible trouble with technique!  Hard to believe, but that is what he said.   He said he tore out many hairs when he was young.
Leonid Hambro once stood outside listening to Horowitz practicing.   He was going over and over a passage that went up and down the keyboard, trying different dynamics, pedaling, coloration, tempi, etc.   Hambro was counting how many times Horowitz repeated the passage.  He lost count at 99.

[sevencircles]

Horowitz claimed he had not been a prodigy.  He said he had had terrible trouble with technique!  Hard to believe, but that is what he said.   He said he tore out many hairs when he was young.
Leonid Hambro once stood outside listening to Horowitz practicing.   He was going over and over a passage that went up and down the keyboard, trying different dynamics, pedaling, coloration, tempi, etc.   Hambro was counting how many times Horowitz repeated the passage.  He lost count at 99.

The same thing can be said about Rachmaninov. His teacher didn´t consider him very good at all.

[philb]

Horowitz claimed he had not been a prodigy.  He said he had had terrible trouble with technique!  Hard to believe, but that is what he said.   He said he tore out many hairs when he was young.
Leonid Hambro once stood outside listening to Horowitz practicing.   He was going over and over a passage that went up and down the keyboard, trying different dynamics, pedaling, coloration, tempi, etc.   Hambro was counting how many times Horowitz repeated the passage.  He lost count at 99.

I read that he played Rach 3 at 17. I also heard him say in a interview that he used to skip school to practice. So maybe hard work does pay off eventually. 

[latrobe]

How can sound be produced without technique? If a "technique" is not defined in part as being that which provides the ability to produce the sounds you wish, it's a poor definition of technique.

Hi!

Very sorry . .  . I have probably misquoted him or possibly simply not been able to summarize in a few words

The question by Stefano Foretti is asked at 14:20 on

and you can hear Adolfo's answer there. He starts from the sound and works back from there rather than starting from the movement and experiencing what sound is results from that.

There are other gems in the other two parts of this interview

and

Best wishes

David P

[beebert]

Well, Giovanni Bellucci, italian concert pianist. He started playing the piano from scratch at the age of fourteen. Two years later, he could play the hammerklavier by Ludwig van Beethoven.

[beebert]

https://www.carlpetersson.com/en/news This man started playing at age of 15.

[madsfr1234]

I'm 16 now, startet to play when i was twelve and at the moment i am playing prokofievs 3th sonata, liszt's transcendental etude no. 10, Beethovens Pathetique sonata and griegs piano concerto. So hard work will pay off. I've just dropped out of high school to focus 100 procent on piano playing. At the moment i'm practicing 6-7 hours a day, and i think it's fantastic. (I also see my friends) 
10 % talent + 90 % hard work = succes.

[rachfan]

For starters:

Bauer, 20
Volodos, 15