The Infant Prodigy (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Thomas Mann
- First Published: 1903
- Type of Plot: Sketch
- Time of Work: The late nineteenth or the early twentieth century
- Setting: A European city
- Principal Characters: Bibi Saccellaphylaccas, The impresario, Various members of the audience
- Genres: Short fiction, Sketch
- Subjects: Psychology or psychologists, Art or artists, Emotions, Pianos or pianists, Entertaining or entertainers, Exceptional or gifted children or prodigies
- Locales: Europe
The Story
Bibi Saccellaphylaccas, the child prodigy, enters the packed concert hall to the applause of an audience already favorably disposed because of advance publicity. Dressed all in white silk, the eight-year-old boy, whose age is advertised as seven, sits at his piano and prepares to play a concert of his own compositions. The hall's expensive front seats are occupied by the upper class, including an aging princess, as well as by the impresario and Bibi's mother. Bibi knows that he must entertain his audience, but he also anticipates losing himself in his music.
As...
[The entire page is 1192 words long]
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