Clementi's Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 24, No. 2
Performance 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Winnie Yang
Copresented by Winnie Yang
Exhibition Number 410
Abstract
Muzio Clementi was active during a transitional period in keyboard music, transitioning from older instruments. Often called "the father of the pianoforte," Clementi composed his Piano Sonata Op. 2 in 1773. This work is considered the first composition fully suited to the style and capabilities of the pianoforte. Clementi’s musical style ranges from the Galant style to the early stages of Romanticism. His final Piano Sonata in G Major, Op. 50, No. 3, “Didone Abbandonata” (1821), shows dramatic expressiveness. This expressiveness is reminiscent of Beethoven’s style. In the 1781 competition with Mozart in Vienna, Clementi played his Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 24, No. 2. In this particular sonata, the emphasis is on clarity and simplicity, rather than virtuosity. It follows the standard Classical sonata structure of fast-slow-fast. Interestingly, ten years later, Mozart incorporated the main motive from the first movement of Clementi’s sonata into the overture of The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte), K. 620, composed in 1791.
Importance
The significance of this study to the field lies in its ability to deepen the understanding of Clementi's piano sonata in the early Classical style. By examining Clementi's B-flat Major sonata, the study shows how the sonata structure, articulations, and style evolved in response to changes in the development of keyboard instruments and shifting performance practices during that time.