The Italian composer and pianist Muzio Clementi was born in Rome in 1752, four years before Mozart. As he showed great musical talent at an early age, his father, a well-to-do goldsmith, did not hesitate to put him in the hands of a music teacher at the age of seven. The decision proved to be a wise one, for at thirteen Muzio took the position of organist in the church. Shortly afterwards, he was invited by a wealthy Englishman to continue his instruction in England, in exchange for living up the evenings at the potentate's mansion, where he remained until 1774, first studying the harpsichord and then delighting an audience that could not cease expressing his amazement at the young Roman's display of virtuosity.
A brilliant concert pianist
But unlike the other prodigy – his contemporary Mozart – the young Clementi did not make his first public appearance as a pianist until 1770, that is, when he was eighteen years old. His first compositions – here again the stark contrast – were published around 1772, and he made his first European tour nine years later, in 1781. However, despite the gap with the genius of Salzburg, by that time Muzio Clementi had made a name for himself as one of the most brilliant concert pianists in the Europe of his time.
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| Muzio Clementi (1752 - 1732) |
This was perhaps what encouraged Emperor Joseph II to hold a unique competition in the salons of his court, when he was given the opportunity to have the two artists in Vienna, precisely during the tour that Clementi was making for the first time.
At the beginning of 1781, Wolfgang and Muzio gave their best, performing their own works and improvising variations on themes proposed by the emperor or by some courageous courtier. When the "contest" was over, Joseph II saw fit to declare a draw.
A theme, "on loan"
However, the one who came out on top was Mozart, for one of the themes from the sonata Clementi presented at that evening so captivated Mozart that, ten years later, he allowed himself to use it in the overture to The Magic Flute. The unauthorized "collaboration" deeply embittered Clementi, who was forced to include a note every time he published the sonata, warning that the theme had been composed ten years before the celebrated opera.
Sonatinas Opus 36
The loaned sonata, of course, was only one of the approximately 110 sonatas that Muzio Clementi composed throughout his life, the first of them, shorter, published as "sonatinas". His opus 36, consisting of six sonatinas of no more than five minutes in length, has since its creation constituted a delightful oasis for the beginning pianist who, having forgotten for a while the tedious exercises of technique, counts on them to early dive in the marvelous world of classicism.
Sonatina No 6 in D major
Rarely performed in public by virtuosos, they make up a beautiful collection of little gems that, despite their apparent simplicity, may demand from the performer even more application than some of Mozart's early sonatas. For all these reasons, we are very grateful that the extraordinary Chinese pianist Yuja Wang had no qualms about uploading an early performance of Sonatina No. 6, when she was still a child, when she was not yet Yuja Wang, although she was very seriously on her way to becoming one.
3:11 Allegretto spiritoso. Yuja takes her time before approaching it, like a pro. The first part incorporates the end of the movement and the end of the piece. Therefore, the second part (beginning at 3:48) carries in the last bar the indication "da capo al fine" thus signaling that now the first part must be repeated completely (4:51) until its "fine". This is known as "ternary form".
