I don’t know if the new generations will know who is playing the piano, but, just in case, I will tell you briefly that the one who shows such a proficiency with the keyboard is Chico Marx, the first-born of a saga of artists like few there have been: The Marx Brothers.
The five brothers who made up this extraordinary family were excellent musicians, with Chico on the piano, Harpo on the harp and Groucho on the guitar standing out.
When you come across a family core with so much talent, you try to find a common link to explain it; in this case, their parents, Samuel and Minnie, were also outstanding artists and may or may not have laid the seed for what was to come.
There is no scientific agreement on whether musical talent is inherited or acquired. What does seem clear is that genetics is insufficient to become a genius, and thousands of hours of practice (ten thousand according to Malcolm Gladwell) are necessary to dominate the production of music.
A skill common to great musicians is the so-called “absolute pitch”, which is the ability to recognise a note in isolation, without any other reference note. But even this outstanding ability is trainable. However, it does seem that those with natural absolute pitch, if they practice enough, can demonstrate greater musical talent than those who acquire it.
By the way, Michael Jackson, also a member of a saga of artists, had one of the most impressive absolute pitches ever known.
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The video accompanying this post is from the 1940 film “Go west”, and the work played by Chico Marx is from Glenn Miller.