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