I'm writing a novel about pianists and I need references for research!

[ar05495]

I'm currently working on what might potentially be a novel about two piano prodigies, and while I've got a pretty decent background in piano, I feel like I don't really have the authority to write on this subject. I've been playing piano for twelve years, but I only took lessons from third through fifth grade and continued on my own. Although I now have the ability to play pieces from composers like Chopin and Beethoven, I certainly don't consider myself an expert. I've also been playing flute for eight or nine years, so I have a solid background in music theory...but I'm no conservatory student. I simply play piano for fun.

So, as you can probably tell, I need to do some serious research if I intend to make this novel work. If anyone has any recommendations--perhaps theory books to study, composers to research, performers to watch, or even memoirs to read from composers, performers, music teachers, etc (that would be particularly helpful if any good ones are out there)--that would be great! Of course, I don't intend to write a novel that's full of jargon only pianists and musicians would understand, but I do want to make sure anything I include is accurate.

I guess I'll start the discussion with this question, and please excuse me if it's stupid: What do people mean on here when they say they can play "Chopin 1" or "Rach 3"? Obviously I know Rach stands for Rachmaninoff...but the numbers trip me up.

So, uh, yeah. Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

[quantum]

If you are going to be writing on piano prodigies, I think the most important aspect to digest is the culture of the prodigy: the art music instruction, the persona of the teacher, the home environment and family pressures, social integration of the prodigy among his/her school peers, the parental units, nationalistic perspectives on the piano prodigy, microscopic and macroscopic perspectives on self-identification as a piano prodigy. 

You can gather a lot by reading into biographies, but there are elements of the culture that just need to be experienced to be understood.  There are likely many stories of next-door neighbor prodigies that have not been told or written.  Interacting with a number of present-day prodigies and their cultural spheres would be an extremely beneficial source of data. 

When someone says "Chopin 1" or "Rach 3" it usually refers to a composition by such composer - often they are nicknames for major works.  In this case they most likely refer to Chopin's Concerto #1 and Rachmaninoff's Concerto #3.  In colloquial language, it is far easier to repeat Chopin 1 rather than say "Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11."  Some of these works have received a degree of cultural stratification such as the Rach 3. 

Some films you might want to watch:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Sousatzka

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shine_%28film%29
Although criticized by a number of people here, this one prominently features the "Rach 3"

[michael_c]

If you are going to be writing on piano prodigies, I think the most important aspect to digest is the culture of the prodigy: the art music instruction, the persona of the teacher, the home environment and family pressures, social integration of the prodigy among his/her school peers, the parental units, nationalistic perspectives on the piano prodigy, microscopic and macroscopic perspectives on self-identification as a piano prodigy.

You can gather a lot by reading into biographies, but there are elements of the culture that just need to be experienced to be understood.  There are likely many stories of next-door neighbor prodigies that have not been told or written.  Interacting with a number of present-day prodigies and their cultural spheres would be an extremely beneficial source of data.

I thoroughly agree. A child prodigy is for most people an alien. I wasn't a prodigy myself but I have been in close contact with a few: I know that the enormous pressure from an early age can take a heavy toll.

There are some tragic destinies: for instance Terence Judd, first a child prodigy, then a wonderfully sensitive pianist who, at the start of what promised to be a brilliant career, committed suicide at the age of 22. If you can read French, La démesure by Céline Raphaël makes fascinating, if harrowing reading. She was mistreated by her father, who would sit beside her supervising her practice and counting the mistakes. She knew she was due for a stroke of his belt for each mistake. At the age of 14, after 10 years of torture, she finally found the courage to confess her problems to a nurse at school: she fled her home, was taken into care and denounced her father. She has now successfully studied to become a doctor.

Céline Raphaël was a really good pianist. She was good enough to win, at the age of 9, third prize in the Ettlingen competition. That year, the first prize was won by a Chinese boy two years her senior, whose parents had sold everything to bring him to Europe. His name: Lang Lang. Lang Lang's childhood was tough as well, but apparently he's OK with that.

[8_octaves]

I thoroughly agree. A child prodigy is for most people an alien. I wasn't a prodigy myself but I have been in close contact with a few: I know that the enormous pressure from an early age can take a heavy toll.

There are some tragic destinies: for instance Terence Judd, first a child prodigy, then a wonderfully sensitive pianist who, at the start of what promised to be a brilliant career, committed suicide at the age of 22. If you can read French, La démesure by Céline Raphaël makes fascinating, if harrowing reading. She was mistreated by her father, who would sit beside her supervising her practice and counting the mistakes. She knew she was due for a stroke of his belt for each mistake. At the age of 14, after 10 years of torture, she finally found the courage to confess her problems to a nurse at school: she fled her home, was taken into care and denounced her father. She has now successfully studied to become a doctor.

Céline Raphaël was a really good pianist. She was good enough to win, at the age of 9, third prize in the Ettlingen competition. That year, the first prize was won by a Chinese boy two years her senior, whose parents had sold everything to bring him to Europe. His name: Lang Lang. Lang Lang's childhood was tough as well, but apparently he's OK with that.

Hi michael,

the stories of Terence Judd, of whom I never had heard before, and of Celine Raphael make me sad.
What was the reason for Judd's suicide. May be that he "only" won the 4th prize 1978? What structures -or : features- of personality professional musicians need, seems to be hardly imaginable. What "breaks" these young and promising persons?

btw: here, I think, is a version of Celine Raphael's book in Polish language (pls correct me if I'm wrong and it's another book):

https://www.amazon.com/W-niewoli-ambicji-Raphael-Celine/dp/8324149880

___

Speaking of prodigies from the former times, we should mention severe epidemics and illnesses, illnesses like tuberculosis, which killed this prodigy, for example:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Filtsch

Quite profane reasons, as we can see, exist(ed), too, cutting short promising careers! 

But fortunately, some made it. Like, e.g., Carreno, who has been mentioned in another thread lately.

Cordially, 8_oct!

[michael_c]

Yes, that certainly looks like a Polish translation of La Démesure. I've found an Italian version as well, but haven't seen any sign of an English translation. Céline Raphaël writes that she had thoughts of suicide. She might well have succeeded in passively killing herself: at 14 she became severely anorexic, but somehow she held onto her life. I think the love and support from her younger sister were very important here.

Nobody knows what was going on in Terence Judd's head when he committed suicide. One thing I am sure of: he didn't kill himself because of any professional "failure". He had been treated for severe depression. At the time I knew a couple of people who had been in some way close to him: they said he was very difficult to get to know. He was probably very lonely and desperately needed real friendship, but had never learnt the basics of simple interaction with other people. He'd spent all his childhood alone with a piano.

[michael_c]

So, ar05495, was this information helpful?

Sometimes I wonder why I bother...