I wonder people think about his raging debate. Personally I have to side with Clementi mainly for his output like the op 40 op 50 sonatas, and the Gradus ad Parnassum. Mozart's piano sonatas are divine, but Clementi was more forward thinking.
I like to big Muzio up as I think he really tried, and was endorsed by Beethoven and I think Chopin.
I don't know if it has any bearing on the subject - for you anyway - Beethoven admired the music of both composers; but it was Mozart that he wanted to learn from.
I have heard some Clementi - some of it is attractive - but really nowhere near the same level of invention. Are you serious? Mozart vs Clementi?
Next it will be Beethoven v Sphor.
I suppose I was trying to be ironic. Sorry, should have added a smiley or something. Then again I suppose if you haven't heard about of it then it couldn't possibly count.
I don't recall reading about it, so maybe I'm out in left field somewhere, but Clementi may have been a precursor of Chopin in the championing-the-piano category. He did his best to improve the instrument, and he composed good things that a talented amateur could play on it. That's not the tack Chopin took, but the piano-can-be-great focus is there.
On yet another tack, Beethoven composed stuff that challenged piano builders; a significant contribution to the cause, though he wasn't so much a piano-nut as the other two.
I agree with the comment about Chopin, I read it somewhere too. The final 20 or so studies of the Gradus actually sound more like Alkan then Chopin. Obviously Clementi come first, so I wonder if Alkan was influenced in any way.
Beethoven, Michelangeli, Horowitz - they didn't ignore Clementi. There are CDs of recitals by ABM and Horowitz containing Clementi. I don't know how easily available those CDs are, but they are worth looking for. Even if you don't dig the Clementi... .
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