Muzio Clementi  

    Muzio Clementi, born in Rome on 24^th January 1752, was a pioneer of the modern piano.

    Clementi was the oldest of seven children.  He began learning about music when he was little, and started keyboard lessons (organ) when he was 7.  He learnt so quickly that he began playing publicly at 9 years of age – as a church organist.  Clementi began composing soon after beginning lessons and was recognised as a talented composer at 14.

    When Clementi was 14, a wealthy Englishman (Sir Peter Beckford) took him to England, providing for his education in exchange for his services as a performer in Beckford’s house.  Clementi learnt to play harpsichord and was introduced to the new instrument, the piano – at that time, because of the Industrial Revolution, the piano was changing very as quickly, like the computer is these days. 

    In 1770, at 18 years of age, Clementi gave the first public piano performance ever – beginning one of the most successful concert performance careers in history.  By 1780, many people thought Clementi was the best pianist in the world and he was asked to compete against Wolfgang Mozart at Vienna.  The Austrian Emperor, Joseph II, decided that Clementi and Mozart were equally good at playing and improvising.

    Clementi later stopped performing to focus on teaching, composing and building pianos.   One of Clementi’s students was John Field - the inventor of a Romantic form, called the Nocturne, and a major influence on Chopin.  He had other famous students.

    Clementi wrote pieces for studying piano playing and developing technical skills.  His pieces are still very important for modern pianists – intermediate students study his Sonatinas and advanced students study his Sonatas.  His 100+ lesson pieces are in several volumes, called Gradus ad Parnassum.  His music combines clear, technical precision with interesting melodies – rather like Ludwig van Beethoven. 

    Clementi is thought of as the father of modern piano playing and part creator of the instrument.  As a very good businessman, and a lover of everything related to the new and popular piano, Clementi was very active in establishing its accessibility.  Clementi was the first composer to write for the piano and the first piano virtuoso performer. 

    Clementi also ran a business as a music publisher.  His work was so much admired by Beethoven, that Clementi was given all rights to editing and publishing Beethoven’s music.  Clementi might have made some major changes to Beethoven’s compositions before they were printed.  Beethoven’s pieces almost certainly also contain the ‘voice’ of Clementi.

    Clementi died in 1832, a very wealthy and famous man.  Clementi also established the London Philharmonic Society.  

Last modified: April 13, 2009