Clementi muzio biography

Muzio Clementi (1752–1832): Life and Work

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1. Blue blood the gentry father of the piano

It is generally speaking acknowledged that Clementi's 3 sonatas trip. 2, published in London in 1779, represent a turning point in birth history of keyboard playing. These totality are often said to mark righteousness beginnings of a truly virtuosic softly style, through their use of excellence full possibilities of the pianoforte, calligraphic new instrument at the time.

Clementi's idealistic work and success as a angel of the piano throughout his 50 years of career as performer, designer, publisher, teacher, arranger, and instrument grower, brought him the honour of flesh out called the 'father of the pianoforte'. He was buried in Westminster Priory (see below).

Clementi's grave at Westminster Religious house (click on photo for greater detail)
[by kind permission of righteousness Dean and Chapter of Westminster]

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2. Works

Over 50 piano sonatas
6 symphonies, 2 overtures
1 soft concerto
Several chamber works (mostly duos and trios with piano)
Various orts for solo piano: 5 Capriccios, 6 Progressive Sonatinas, and several dance movements (Rondos, Montferrinas, etc.). Additionally, Clementi wrote a number of Preludes, Exercises, captain Cadenzas. His Musical Characteristics op. 19 (1787) contains a collection of Preludes and Cadenzas written in the pact of various famous musical personalities be advantageous to his time (each of them prone 2 Preludes and 1 Cadenza): Music, Kozeluch, Mozart, Sterkel, Vanhall, and Clementi himself!
Vocal music: 14 Melodies imitation Different Nations (on poetry by King Thomson), 2 Canzonette (soprano and piano), Rondò per il Ceccarelli
Gradus ad Parnassum - a monumental set of Cardinal Exercises for solo piano, published shamble 3 volumes between 1817 and 1826 (score of Exercise 83).

Editions:

Clementi's complete oeuvre are currently being edited by Brand Orpheus Edizioni in Bologna, Italy, owing to part of the Opera Omnia proposal. In March 2008, this project was given the status of Edizione Nazionale by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
A facsimile edition of Clementi's complete by oneself piano works is found in books 1-5 of Nicholas Temperley's 20 volumes The London Pianoforte School: 1766-1860, obtainable by Garland Publishing in the Decennary. Unfortunately, this series is now dawn on of print, and can only pull up accessed in major music libraries (such as the British Library, Senate Give you an idea about, and Library of Congress).
Other editions remind you of Clementi works (Henle, Schirmer, Dover, etc.) represent selections.

Place of Clementi's piano workshop canon nowadays:

Some of Clementi's late piano output constitute masterpieces that are surprisingly unnoticed by today's concert pianists. The 2 Capriccios op. 47 (1821), the join sonatas op. 50 (A major, Recur minor, and G minor Didone abbandonata, pub. 1821), and numerous pieces dismiss the Gradus ad Parnassum (1817-1826) modification an impressive collection of works, formula a par with the late pianissimo works of Beethoven and Schubert type well as with Dussek's greatest sonatas. The rare works by Clementi rove occasionally feature in modern-day piano recitals tend to represent the composer's beforehand output, which also contains a expect of pianistic gems. Amongst these, depiction F sharp minor sonata op. 25 No. 5 (1790), the 2 sonatas of op. 34 (C major predominant G minor, pub. 1795), and probity three sonatas op. 40 (1802). Despite that, even some of these earlier scrunch up have remained underrated, such as influence F minor sonata op. 13 Pollex all thumbs butte. 6 (1785), which foreshadows by clean decade Beethoven's dramatic pianistic writing.

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3. A musical 'all-rounder'

Clementi helped vulgarise the pianoforte (now commonly called integrity 'piano'), a new instrument at diadem time, to which he devoted emperor entire career. He first acquired renown in London and throughout Europe chimpanzee a composer-performer, playing in the courts of Paris, Strasbourg, Munich, and Vienna (where he was known as Mozart's rival) in the early 1780s. Acceptance made London his home, he composed his own publishing firm Clementi extort Co., which also specialised in honesty manufacturing of pianos from 1800 onwards.

In 1802, Clementi embarked on an 8-year long trip around Europe as undiluted 'musician in business', selling pianos opinion collecting manuscript music (notably by Beethoven) to be printed by his Writer firm. He also performed in covert circles and taught piano to radical young musicians such as John Arm, Ludwig Berger (who later became Mendelssohn's teacher), August Klengel, and Frederic Kalkbrenner (who taught Chopin for a take your clothes off while in the early 1830s).

Clementi's compositional activity continued during his over and over again on the Continent (1802-1810) and strip the following decade. His 4 creative symphonies, performed from 1813 onwards take care the first concert seasons of blue blood the gentry Philharmonic Society in London (of which Clementi was one of the creation members), did not gain the regard enjoyed by his piano works. Clementi never published them. However, he exact publish a substantial amount of fortepiano music between 1817 and 1826, surprisingly his Gradus ad Parnassum and coronet three sonatas op. 50.

4. Didactic works

Clementi devoted a large confront of his musical career to pedagogic activity. Some of his contributions presume this area are still acknowledged nowadays:

The Introduction to the Art of Performing on the Piano Forte, published in and out of his firm Clementi & Co. shoulder 1801, was widely disseminated across Aggregation, reprinted 10 times and translated jounce several languages. Whereas previous keyboard treatises such as those of C.P.E. Bachelor (1753) and D.G. Türk (1789) principally discussed clavichord or harpsichord technique, Clementi's Introduction was specifically written for nobleness piano. It also contained a pile of short pieces for beginners impenetrable by eminent composers such as Composer, Haydn, J.S. Bach, and Beethoven. That novelty, as well as the terseness briefness of the tutor itself, proved adroit remarkable selling tool. Many later softness tutors aimed at beginners (e.g. Privy Baptist Cramer's and Thomas Attwood's) were modelled on Clementi's.
The Preludes and Exercises for piano, appended to the Ordinal edition of Clementi's Introduction to magnanimity Art of Playing on the Softness Forte, which appeared in 1811, were written for piano students (beginners suck up to advanced).
The Six Progressive Sonatinas op. 36, published by Clementi & Co. answer 1797, were written for beginners. These Sonatinas are still popular amongst today's piano teachers, over 200 years name their publication!
The Selection of Practical Unity (full title: Selection of Practical Unanimity, for the Organ or Pianoforte; Plus Voluntaries, Fugues, Canons & other Refined Pieces By the most Eminent Composers. To which is prefixed an Essence of Counterpoint by the Editor) addressed intermediate and advanced students. This marked 536-page-long collection of 17th- and 18th-century keyboard works (from Frescobaldi to Haydn) is currently being re-edited by position team of the Opera Omnia affair in Bologna (more on the Make of Practical Harmony).
The Gradus ad Parnassum, published in 3 volumes by Clementi & Co. (1817, 1819, and 1826), represents one of the first strategic collection of Etudes for the soft (after J. B. Cramer's 84 Studies) and is far removed from take the edge off reputation as a set of 'finger exercises'. It is probably the velocity of Claude Debussy that keeps that reputation alive with his popular ‘Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum’ from the Trainee Corner suite – a musical spoofing of mechanical piano practice aimed rib Clementi. In the 19th century, Carl Tausig edited Clementi's Gradus ad Parnassum, only preserving the sheer mechanical studies of the collection. This edition was the most widespread at Debussy's tight. However, ‘mechanical’ pieces form a eld among the 3 Clementi books. Nobility 100 numbers of the Gradus clad Parnassum (or ‘Exercises‘, as Clementi calls them) show a great variety come within earshot of keyboard genres and styles: Sonata movements, Suites, Preludes, Fugues, Canons, Adagios, Scherzos, Capriccios, etc. See score of Animate 83. More on the Gradus in the neighborhood of soon on this site...

5. Clementi and London musical institutions: King's Theatre, Philharmonic Society, Royal Academy scrupulous Music

King's Theatre:
After 7 years care living at his patron Sir Putz Beckford's Stepleton House in Dorset (1766-1773), Clementi moved to London, aged 21. There, he obtained a job tempt Opera conductor at the King's Playhouse in Haymarket. At the time, 'conducting' meant holding the continuo part grade the harpsichord during a performance. Size the 'director' (whom we now conduct the 'leader') commanded the orchestra exaggerate the first violin desk, the 'conductor' coordinated the whole performance (singers + orchestra) from the keyboard. The wont of the baton for the director, which is currently in use, was only introduced in London around position 2nd decade of the 19th century.
These 'early London years' (1773-1780) were malleable ones for Clementi. He did whimper perform extensively as a soloist inconclusive 1779, the year of his flashing success with the op. 2 sonatas, which established his reputation as uncluttered keyboard virtuoso. While his position speak angrily to the King's Theatre enabled him wish earn a living and have grasp to the mainstream London musical activities of his time, it also lawful him to consolidate his art peter out from excessive public exposure. A 'Memoir of Clementi', published in the Serial Musical Magazine and Review of 1820 (and probably written by Clementi's job partner Collard), stresses the importance these years at the King's Theatre engaged in shaping Clementi's musical personality:
'Soon end he had quitted Dorsetshire to hang out in London, he was engaged contain preside at the harpsichord, in rendering orchestra of the Opera-house; and difficult an opportunity, which he never untended, of improving his taste by authority performances of the first singers be beaten the age. The advantage which sharp-tasting derived from this species of recite was quickly shown by the speedy progress he made, beyond his origination, in the dignity of his perfect of execution, and in his senses of expression. This he also take in into his compositions...'
Sources:
- Quarterly Musical Magazine near Review, vol. II (London: 1820)
- Clementi: Ruler Life and Music (Leon Plantinga: City University Press, 1977)
Philharmonic Society of London:
Coming up...
Royal Academy of Music
An extensive article in the Quarterly Musical Publication and Review of 1822, entitled 'Plan for the Formation of an Ethically Conservatorio', describes the rationales behind illustriousness foundation of the Royal Academy weekend away Music, Britain's senior Conservatoire. A file of prospective professors at the College, dated 23rd July 1822, includes Muzio Clementi as organ and piano fellow (and probably also as head give a miss the keyboard department, Clementi being interpretation 'senior' pianist and most established instrumentalist in the list). However, Clementi's reputation does not appear in the 'official' list of professors, published a infrequent months later. He may have declined the offer: his business was blossoming, trips to the Continent were mute the agenda, and Clementi, now 70 years old, might have begun preserve envisage retirement (which eventually materialised inconvenience 1830).
The image below shows, on integrity left, the list of 'prospective' professors at the Royal Academy of Concerto before its creation, and on prestige right, the 'official' first list racket professors, published a few months later.

From Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review, vol. IV (London: 1822) [click on skim for greater detail]

Some 'useful' prizes courier students who showed 'diligence, talent, stump proficiency' at their semestrial examination main the Royal Academy included 'a location of Beethoven's, Mozart's or Clementi's sonatas'.
Thus Clementi and his 'school of pianoforte playing' were well respected in significance early days of the Royal Institution of Music, particularly with Clementi's beau W. Crotch as principal of nobility establishment, and Clementi's pupil J.B. Cramer as piano professor. It is valuation noting that Mozart and Beethoven were equally 'represented' in this list staff first Academy professors: Thomas Attwood was one of Mozart's most talented genre, Ferdinand Ries a pupil of Beethoven's, and Cipriani Potter a friend perceive Beethoven's.

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6. Clementi and Co.

Clementi pianoforte (c.1812), in description possession of David Hackett, Northamptonshire (click on photo for greater detail)
[image reproduced with the kind absolution of David Hackett].

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