Few composers have had a more bizarre start in life than Muzio Clementi. Few, too, could exceed his bad luck in having Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven for contemporaries. As a pianist, however (the forerunner of Chopin and Liszt, and renowned to this day as ‘the father of modern pianism’), he was unrivalled. Nor did he confine himself to playing. He was a powerful publisher and piano manufacturer, and a teacher of unparalleled industry and influence. Rich, parsimonious, and beloved of the aristocracy, he was buried in Westminster Abbey. This profile of Clementi includes half an hour of music by the composer. Audio samples are contained in the text: just tap to listen while you read.
