help me choose some clementi

[gerryjay]

 hi people!
 my teacher ask me to choose a study from clementi's gradus ad parnassum, but none keeps my attention in particular. it doesn't help the fact that i don't have a recording of the book. yes i'm completely lost!!! 
 so, anyone has a suggestion?
 thanx a lot!

[swim4ever_22]

Instead of Gradas ad Parnassum, perhaps his Sonatas or Sonatinas? Those are much more along the lines of actual music, as opposed to "exercises".

[danny elfboy]

hi people!
 my teacher ask me to choose a study from clementi's gradus ad parnassum, but none keeps my attention in particular.

No wonder, Gradus ad Parnassum is hideous 

[gerryjay]

 i can't say i like it either but i think this time i need to do at least one of his studies.
 about sonatas/inas i did play some complete ones and some spare movements: done! 
 thanx for the replies!

[swim4ever_22]

If you haven't learned all of them yet, some of his sonatas are late intermediate/early advanced, such as op. 7, op 13, and I think op. 40/50.

[gerryjay]

If you haven't learned all of them yet, some of his sonatas are late intermediate/early advanced, such as op. 7, op 13, and I think op. 40/50.

i will check them and ask my teacher about this change although when he talked about a study i think he means exactly that... 
 thanks!

[swim4ever_22]

Well... when you think about it... what isn't a study? Everything you play can be considered as such. Whether it be from an exercise book or from a book of pieces by X composer, anything you play can be thought of that way. It's your choice. Use an exercise book, or learn another piece of repertoire, not to mention something that actually sounds like music. 

[gerryjay]

Well... when you think about it... what isn't a study? Everything you play can be considered as such. Whether it be from an exercise book or from a book of pieces by X composer, anything you play can be thought of that way. It's your choice. Use an exercise book, or learn another piece of repertoire, not to mention something that actually sounds like music. 

i agree with you. to be very honest i just don't like to play those "pure" studies or exercises. i never found that particularly helping me. my opinion is that if you play anything to perfection, exploring any difficult part until it surrends, you are doing much more than only playing that studies. of course if someone likes it or gets improvement from exercises, that's good.
 btw isn't true that several of those 19th century studies were composed to solve or develop technique after beethoven's sonatas?
 anyway my problem is the request of my teacher. i have class in a couple of days and i'll propose him to skip that. thanks for the arguments swim: if he gets mad with me i'll give him your mail!!! 

[swim4ever_22]

That depends. Czerny did exactly that. His studies were meant to prepare the pianist for all the obstacles you would encounter in Beethoven's Sonatas. Liszt's studies (the Op. 1, not the TEs, etc.), were meant as smaller studies to prepare the pianist to attempt his Transcendental Etudes.

I think the only "studies" that I would ever recommend to anybody would be Burgmuller's Op. 100. Bach's Inventions and Sinfonias are meant as studies, not only in the technical aspect, but also through a compositional/musical facet. They are wonderful pieces of music that present the earlier pianist with certain obstacles. The best part about it... the Op. 100 and the Inventions/Sinfonias are actual pieces of music.

[gerryjay]

[burgmuller's] Op. 100 and the Inventions/Sinfonias are actual pieces of music.

i second that.
 i played several inventions and sinfonias, and wish to include some of them in my repertory in the future.
  about burgmuller i did play some of his studies and they are really interesting. btw some bertinis are good music too.