Hard Work: It’s All It’s Cracked Up To Be

Today we celebrate the 180th birthday of one of the true child prodigies in the history of humankind, Camille Saint-Saens (pictured), which gives me the opportunity to tell a story I heard when I was young.  Saint-Saens gave a recital when he was 9 years old that amazed its audience, but they were astounded even further when he returned to the stage to perform an encore, and asked a lady in the front row to pick a number between 1 and 32.  He then reminded his listeners that Beethoven had (at that time fairly recently) composed 32 sonatas for piano, and proceeded to play from memory the piece that corresponded to the number the woman had chosen; he was, of course, equally prepared for any of the others.

From the Writer’s Almanac:  Over the course of his lifetime he composed more than 300 pieces, including thirteen operas, and he was the first major composer to write specifically for the cinema. He toured frequently, conducting his oratorios and premiering his piano concertos all over Europe and the United States, sometimes accompanied only by his servant, Gabriel, and his pet dogs.  Saint-Saens said, “I like good company, but I like hard work still better.”

A wonderful reminder to all of us who endeavor to accomplish something in this world of ours.