Reviews

The musical world abounds in child prodigies. "Little" Stevie Wonder wowing the nation on the Ed Sullivan Show when he was 13 comes to mind. Or ace slide guitarist Derek Trucks joining the Allman Brothers at 11, or mandolinist Chris Thile founding the newgrass band Nickel Creek at age 8.

Local concertgoers got to hear a jazz prodigy when 12-year-old pianist Joey Alexander played the 2016 Monterey Jazz Festival. (He's part of a lineage in the genre; jazz giant Herbie Hancock played with the Chicago Symphony at age 11.)

Within the classical oeuvre, prodigies are even more plentiful. Soprano Beverly Sills gave her first recital at 12. Composer Georges Bizet entering the Paris Conservatory at 10. Frédéric Chopin did his first piano recital at 7; Camille Saint-Saëns at 5. Sergei Prokofiev composed his first opera when he was 9. Beethoven debuted publicly at 7.

Then there's Mozart. He began composing at 4, finishing his first symphony when he was 8. He penned a dozen other so-called childhood symphonies before turning 15. The litany that followed – 41 symphonies; 27 piano concerti; a universe of chamber music, vocal music including masses and operas – stands as a prodigious portfolio made even more impressive by the fact that Mozart died at 36.

The Monterey Symphony offers a glimpse into this prolific genius this weekend when they bring guest conductor Connor Gray Covington of the Utah Symphony to the podium and host Curtis Institute-alum guest pianist Michael Davidman onstage for an all-Mozart program curated by Covington.

The outing opens with the Overture from the composer's beloved opera Don Giovanni, after which Davidman will enjoin Piano Concerto No. 21.

"There are 27 piano concertos, and from No. 19 on are masterpieces," Covington says. "Pairing 21 with the Giovanni overture works because Mozart was at his very best writing for the opera, and there are a lot of operatic elements in this concerto. There's this incredible singing quality to the piano melodies."

Two of Mozart's symphonies complete the program – his first and his last, back to back. "It's an interesting juxtaposition to see where he started and where he ended up," Covington says. "When you see his output, it's astounding. Like all great music it's hard to put into words. Not only is it beautiful, but from a technical standpoint, it's unbelievable. The more you study it the more you see."