Muzio Clementi

Donald Macleod delves into the life and work of piano prodigy
Muzio Clementi.


Muzio Clementi was one of the 18th and 19th century’s most
revered musicians – a star performer, a composer admired by
Czerny, Beethoven and Chopin and an astute musical businessman.
However, he also had his detractors in his own time and history
hasn’t been as kind to him as to the greater names of his time –
Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Today his name is unfamiliar to most
but it is certainly better known than the music he wrote. He was
fortunate to have interactions with perhaps the world's three
greatest composers, but this fortune may have also worked against
him - putting him in direct competition with them. Across the
episode, Donald Macleod explores Clementi’s contact with the
greatest composers of his day, reassessing the life and music of
the man known as the “father of the piano” in the light of these
encounters. We’ll hear the stories of his musical duel with
Mozart, stage-sharing with Haydn, brushes with Beethoven and
dispute with John Field over a hat.


Music featured: Symphony No 3 (Finale) Musical Characteristics,
Op 19 Piano Sonata in A flat Major, WoO 13 Sonata for piano, Op 2
No 4 Duetto in C Major, Op 3 No 3 (Presto) Mozart (arr.
Clementi): Symphony no. 40 in G minor, K 550 (Finale) Sonata in G
minor, Op 7 No 3 Toccata in B flat Major, Op 11 No 2 Sonata in B
flat major, Op 24 No 2 Variations on Mozart’s Batti, batti, o bel
Masetto from Don Giovanni, WoO 10 Sonata in E flat major, Op. 8
No 2 (II. Larghetto con espressione) Symphony in B flat major, Op
18 No 1 (I. Allegro Assai) Sonata in G minor, Op 9 No 2 Overture
in D Major Symphony No 4 Capriccio in F major, Op 34 No 2
Monferinas selection Sonata, Op 34 No 2 Concerto for piano and
orchestra (II. Adagio e cantibile) Piano Sonata in F minor, Op 13
No 6 (III. Presto) Adagio sostenuto in F major (Gradus ad
Parnassum, Book I, No 14) Sonata in B minor, Op 40 No 2 (II.
Largo) Symphony No 2 in D major ( Finale) Symphony No 1 in C
major (III. Minuet and Trio) Piano Sonata in G minor, Op 50 No 3
“Didone abbandonata”


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Sam Phillips for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Muzio Clementi
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009bdq


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z