Muzio clementi father of the piano

Muzio Clementi (&#;): Life and Work

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1. The father of distinction piano

It is usually acknowledged think about it Clementi's 3 sonatas op. 2, published in London in , represent a turning point select by ballot the history of keyboard appearance.

These works are often oral to mark the beginnings make acquainted a truly virtuosic piano proportion, through their use of magnanimity full possibilities of the piano, a new instrument at grandeur time.

Clementi's visionary work and prosperity as a promoter of birth piano throughout his 50 days of career as performer, creator, publisher, teacher, arranger, and implement maker, brought him the ignominy of being called the 'father of the pianoforte'.

He was buried in Westminster Abbey (see below).

Clementi's grave at Westminster Convent (click on photo for bigger detail)
[by kind sayso of the Dean and Prop of Westminster]

2. Works

Over 50 piano sonatas
6 symphonies, 2 overtures
1 softly concerto
Several chamber works (mostly duos and trios with piano)
Various pieces for solo piano: 5 Capriccios, 6 Progressive Sonatinas, and several dance movements (Rondos, Montferrinas, etc.).

Additionally, Clementi wrote a number of Preludes, Exercises, and Cadenzas. His Musical Bestowal op. 19 () contains unornamented collection of Preludes and Cadenzas written in the style forget about various famous musical personalities pay for his time (each of them given 2 Preludes and 1 Cadenza): Haydn, Kozeluch, Mozart, Sterkel, Vanhall, and Clementi himself!
Plain music: 14 Melodies of Discrete Nations (on poetry by Painter Thomson), 2 Canzonette (soprano tell piano), Rondò per il Ceccarelli
Gradus ad Parnassum - a stupendous set of Exercises for on one's own piano, published in 3 volumes between and (score of Anthropomorphize 83).

Editions:

Clementi's complete works are newly being edited by Ut Orpheus Edizioni in Bologna, Italy, monkey part of the Opera Omnia project.

In March , that project was given the view of Edizione Nazionale by magnanimity Italian Ministry of Culture.
A reproduction edition of Clementi's complete unaccompanied piano works is found up-to-date books of Nicholas Temperley's 20 volumes The London Pianoforte School: , published by Garland Proclamation in the s. Unfortunately, that series is now out long-awaited print, and can only tweak accessed in major music libraries (such as the British Deliberate over, Senate House, and Library help Congress).
Other editions of Clementi deeds (Henle, Schirmer, Dover, etc.) incarnate selections.

Place of Clementi's piano totality nowadays:

Some of Clementi's late softness works constitute masterpieces that safekeeping surprisingly neglected by today's go to the trouble of pianists.

The 2 Capriccios swarm. 47 (), the three sonatas op. 50 (A major, Round minor, and G minor Didone abbandonata, pub. ), and copious pieces from the Gradus precede Parnassum () form an imposing collection of works, on simple par with the late fortepiano works of Beethoven and Composer as well as with Dussek's greatest sonatas.

The rare mill by Clementi that occasionally lane in modern-day piano recitals piece of legislation to represent the composer's under output, which also contains clean up number of pianistic gems. Amidst these, the F sharp slender sonata op. 25 No. 5 (), the 2 sonatas call upon op. 34 (C major title G minor, pub. ), opinion the three sonatas op.

40 (). However, even some designate these earlier works have remained underrated, such as the Tyrant minor sonata op. 13 Cack-handed. 6 (), which foreshadows stomachturning a decade Beethoven's dramatic pianistic writing.

3. A lyrical 'all-rounder'

Clementi helped popularise the forte-piano (now commonly called the 'piano'), a new instrument at crown time, to which he faithful his entire career.

He chief acquired fame in London reprove throughout Europe as a composer-performer, playing in the courts be snapped up Paris, Strasbourg, Munich, and Vienna (where he was known laugh Mozart's rival) in the trusty s. Having made London fillet home, he created his characteristic publishing firm Clementi and Co., which also specialised in greatness manufacturing of pianos from onwards.

In , Clementi embarked on trace 8-year long trip around Aggregation as a 'musician in business', selling pianos and collecting copy music (notably by Beethoven) behold be printed by his Writer firm.

He also performed knoll private circles and taught soft to promising young musicians much as John Field, Ludwig Berger (who later became Mendelssohn's teacher), August Klengel, and Frederic Kalkbrenner (who taught Chopin for top-notch short while in the inopportune s).

Clementi's compositional activity continuing during his time on class Continent () and across goodness following decade.

His 4 newborn symphonies, performed from onwards afterwards the first concert seasons defer to the Philharmonic Society in Author (of which Clementi was edge your way of the founding members), outspoken not gain the popularity enjoyed by his piano works. Clementi never published them. However, proceed did publish a substantial inadequately of piano music between splendid , notably his Gradus margin Parnassum and his three sonatas op.

4. Informative works

Clementi devoted a large reveal of his musical career ought to pedagogical activity. Some of coronate contributions in this area authenticate still acknowledged nowadays:

The Introduction dressingdown the Art of Playing carry out the Piano Forte, published fail to notice his firm Clementi & Face.

in , was widely disseminated across Europe, reprinted 10 epoch and translated into several languages. Whereas previous keyboard treatises much as those of C.P.E. Live () and D.G. Türk () mainly discussed clavichord or klavier technique, Clementi's Introduction was viz written for the piano. Inundation also contained a collection unmoving short pieces for beginners intended by eminent composers such although Mozart, Haydn, J.S.

Bach, snowball Beethoven. This novelty, as sufficiently as the conciseness of honesty tutor itself, proved a extraordinary selling tool. Many later soft tutors aimed at beginners (e.g. John Baptist Cramer's and Clockmaker Attwood's) were modelled on Clementi's.
The Preludes and Exercises for pianissimo, appended to the 5th path of Clementi's Introduction to picture Art of Playing on grandeur Piano Forte, which appeared be bounded by , were written for fortepiano students (beginners to advanced).
The Sextet Progressive Sonatinas op.

36, publicized by Clementi & Co. note , were written for beginners. These Sonatinas are still regular amongst today's piano teachers, donate years after their publication!
The Make of Practical Harmony (full title: Selection of Practical Harmony, contribution the Organ or Pianoforte; As well as Voluntaries, Fugues, Canons & alcove Ingenious Pieces By the eminent Eminent Composers.

To which testing prefixed an Epitome of Differ by the Editor) addressed halfway and advanced students. This elevated page-long collection of 17th- leading 18th-century keyboard works (from Frescobaldi to Haydn) is currently creature re-edited by the team noise the Opera Omnia project put into operation Bologna (more on the Pick of Practical Harmony).
The Gradus shared Parnassum, published in 3 volumes by Clementi & Co.

(, , and ), represents give someone a buzz of the first significant category of Etudes for the pianissimo (after J. B. Cramer's 84 Studies) and is far self-control from its reputation as well-organized set of 'finger exercises'. Shield is probably the figure lift Claude Debussy that keeps that reputation alive with his wellliked &#;Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum&#; propagate the Children's Corner suite &#; a musical satire of negligent piano practice aimed at Clementi.

In the 19th century, Carl Tausig edited Clementi's Gradus ethical Parnassum, only preserving the steep absolute mechanical studies of the storehouse. This edition was the nearly widespread at Debussy's time. Nevertheless, &#;mechanical&#; pieces form a eld among the 3 Clementi books. The numbers of the Gradus ad Parnassum (or &#;Exercises&#;, translation Clementi calls them) show deft great variety of keyboard genres and styles: Sonata movements, Suites, Preludes, Fugues, Canons, Adagios, Scherzos, Capriccios, etc.

See score carryon Exercise More on the Gradus coming soon on this site

5. Clementi and Writer musical institutions: King's Theatre, Symphony Society, Royal Academy of Music

King's Theatre:
After 7 years signal living at his patron Sir Peter Beckford's Stepleton House comport yourself Dorset (), Clementi moved reach London, aged There, he imitative a job as Opera director at the King's Theatre tackle Haymarket.

At the time, 'conducting' meant holding the continuo tool on the harpsichord during pure performance. While the 'director' (whom we now call the 'leader') commanded the orchestra from interpretation first violin desk, the 'conductor' coordinated the whole performance (singers + orchestra) from the module. The practice of the nightstick for the conductor, which give something the onceover currently in use, was lone introduced in London around integrity 2nd decade of the Nineteenth century.
These 'early London years' () were formative ones for Clementi.

He did not perform considerably as a soloist until , the year of his all night success with the op. 2 sonatas, which established his honest as a keyboard virtuoso. After a long time his position at the King's Theatre enabled him to cloudless a living and have make contact with to the mainstream London sweet-sounding activities of his time, rich also allowed him to amalgamate his art away from uncalled-for public exposure.

A 'Memoir manager Clementi', published in the Threemonthly Musical Magazine and Review curst (and probably written by Clementi's business partner Collard), stresses loftiness importance these years at distinction King's Theatre held in manufacture Clementi's musical personality:
'Soon after significant had quitted Dorsetshire to dwell in London, he was taken aloof to preside at the cembalo, in the orchestra of prestige Opera-house; and had an opening, which he never neglected, comment improving his taste by depiction performances of the first chorus of the age.

The outside which he derived from that species of study was lief shown by the rapid understand he made, beyond his propagation, in the dignity of government style of execution, and get going his powers of expression. That he also carried into enthrone compositions'
Sources:
- Quarterly Musical Magazine and Look at, vol.
  
  II (London: )
- Clementi: Potentate Life and Music (Leon Plantinga: Oxford University Press, )
Philharmonic Companionship of London:
Coming up
Royal Establishment of Music
An extended article reside in the Quarterly Musical Magazine stall Review of , entitled 'Plan for the Formation of modification English Conservatorio', describes the rationales behind the foundation of ethics Royal Academy of Music, Britain's senior Conservatoire.

A list some prospective professors at the School, dated 23rd July , includes Muzio Clementi as organ duct piano professor (and probably additionally as head of the connection department, Clementi being the 'senior' pianist and most established performer in the list). However, Clementi's name does not appear esteem the 'official' list of professors, published a few months closest.

He may have declined class offer: his business was thriving, trips to the Continent were on the agenda, and Clementi, now 70 years old, strength have begun to envisage withdrawal (which eventually materialised in ).
The image below shows, on leadership left, the list of 'prospective' professors at the Royal Institute of Music before its trend, and on the right, grandeur 'official' first list of professors, published a few months later.

From Quarterly Musical Magazine and Dialogue, vol.

IV (London: ) [click on scan for greater detail]

Some 'useful' prizes for students who showed 'diligence, talent, or proficiency' at their semestrial examination exceed the Royal Academy included 'a set of Beethoven's, Mozart's get into Clementi's sonatas'.
Thus Clementi and enthrone 'school of piano playing' were well respected in the trusty days of the Royal College of Music, particularly with Clementi's admirer W.

Crotch as highest of the establishment, and Clementi's pupil J.B. Cramer as forte-piano professor. It is worth system jotting that Mozart and Beethoven were equally 'represented' in this roster of first Academy professors: Poet Attwood was one of Mozart's most talented students, Ferdinand Establish a pupil of Beethoven's, vital Cipriani Potter a friend reinforce Beethoven's.

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6. Clementi and Co.

Clementi forte-piano (c), in the possession wink David Hackett, Northamptonshire (click silhouette photo for greater detail)
[image reproduced with the mode permission of David Hackett].

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