MUZIO CLEMENTI (1752-1832)

Muzio Clementi, famous piano virtuoso and the most important piano teacher of his time, had a great influence on Beethoven's early piany style. Clementi's piano method "Introduction to the Art of Playing on the Piano Forte" (first edition London 1801) was a standard work and recommended by Beethoven.
Remarkable in this tutorial is the selection of composers for the 50 lessons with a main focus on early music: 11 Corelli und 10 Handel compositions are presented together with works by C.P.E. Bach, J.S. Bach, Couperin, Cramer, Dussek, Haydn, Mozart, Pleyel and Scarlatti. A little waltz by Beethoven (WoO 11/1) is the "most modern" contribution - maybe a hint to the later commercial relation between Beethoven as composer and Clementi as music editor in London: several important works by Beethoven were published by Clementi (beginning 1807), a satisfying cooperation for both parties.