MENTOR

In greek mythology, the aged Mentor was a friend of Odysseus, one of the central figures of Western culture. The goddess Athena disguised herself as Mentor, and encouraged Odysseus' son, Telemachus, to go abroad to find out what happened to his father.

Because of Mentor's relationship with Telemachus, and the disguised Athena's encouragement and practical plans for dealing personal dilemmas, the name Mentor has become a term meaning someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less experienced colleague – a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more experienced person.

Some professions have "mentoring programs", in which newcomers are paired with more experienced people, who advise them and serve as examples as they advance. Mentors provide expertise to their protégés to help them enhance their education and advance their careers.

One example of a famous mentor was Aristotle, who mentored Alexander the Great.

PRODIGY

A child who, by about age 10, performs at the level of a highly trained adult in a particular sphere of activity or knowledge. It is the capacity to perform in a recognized area of endeavour in such a way as to receive broad acclaim that defines the prodigy.

First, a child must have extraordinary natural ability in a particular domain (such as music or mathematics). Then, master teachers must be available to the child at the right moment in the child’s development, the craft must be taught to him in a systematic and accessible manner, and the child must have a supportive family member or guardian who can seek the master teachers, provide means of ensuring regular lessons, and nurture the child’s extraordinary talents.

Best known are the musical prodigies, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert and Felix Mendelssohn, all of whom began to compose before the age of 12; Frederic Chopin and Yehudi Menuhin, who had given public concerts by age 11; and Johannes Brahms, Anton Dvořák, Richard Strauss, as well as the performer and composer Stevie Wonder – all of whom distinguished themselves through music early in their lives. Prodigies in other disciplines have included the authors Emily and Charlotte Brontë.

In some cases prodigies are both born and made; they can be born with retentive memories and a quality of mind that enables them to relate and organize experiences, and they can be made in the sense that they receive opportunities.

ESTERHAZY

The Esterházy family is perhaps best known for its association with the composer Joseph Haydn, inventor of the symphony, who served for over thirty years as their court music director. Haydn was hired by Prince Paul Anton Esterházy in 1761, and from 1762 to 1790 served under his successor Nikolaus ('The Magnificent").

Nikolaus' was known as "The Magnificent" because of his building of palaces, extravagant clothing, and taste for opera and othe grand musical performances. In 1766, Nikolaus began the construction of a magnificent new palace at Esterhaza, in rural Hungary on the site of his old hunting lodge. This is the most admired of the various Esterhazy homes, is often called "the Hungarian Versailles", and is a tourist attraction today. The Prince at first spent only summers there, but gradually came to spend ten months of the year – much to the distress of his musicians.

Nicholas maintained a program of social welfare for his employees, unusual in its generosity and social-mindedeness at that time – he paid pensions to aged employees, and bestowed small sums on their widows; he supported a modest hospital in Eisenstadt and another in Eszterháza, which were available to the court employees; the medicines dispensed by the monastery of the Brothers of the Order of Mercy were, in most cases, paid for by the Prince; any employee was entitled to consult one of the three physicians attached to the court, and, if the doctor so advised, an ailing servant was sent at the sovereign's expense to a spa to receive treatment."

The aging Haydn returned to Esterháza during the reign of Nikolaus II, to perform largely ceremonial duties, principally consisting of composing an annual mass for the Princess's name-day, until his health failed in 1802.