Does anyone have experiences with Clementi's Gradus ad parnassum ?

[septentryon]

Hello

I come from Brussels(Belgium) and I'm new to this forum.

I'm not a proffessional but I play for more than 15 year now and I have at least decided to improve my technique with strong exercices.

I 'm already experienced with Hanon.
Does anyone have experiences with Clementi's Gradus ad parnassum ?
I've played the first three exercices yesterday.
How much time did you pass on each exercice?
Is there really one guy how played the 100 stuks ?
Any advices ?

Thank you !

Septentryon

[hansscherff]

Hello

I come from Brussels(Belgium) and I'm new to this forum.

I'm not a proffessional but I play for more than 15 year now and I have at least decided to improve my technique with strong exercices.

I 'm already experienced with Hanon.
Does anyone have experiences with Clementi's Gradus ad parnassum ?
I've played the first three exercices yesterday.
How much time did you pass on each exercice?
Is there really one guy how played the 100 stuks ?
Any advices ?

Thank you !

Septentryon

Honestly i have no idea, i have not played it either, but i'm interested as well. However i'm not interested in the specific excercises, but more in the musical value of them.

Any experience is indeed welcome.

Hans

[septentryon]

In fact, when I started the N°2, I was really impressed by the musical value. I cannot say the same to the Czerny's etudes which are more 'basic'.
Then I do not understand why Clementi's Gradus is not more popular than Czerny...

[rmbarbosa]

I put a similar question some weeks ago and havnt received any answer. So you are more happy than me
So I analysed Gradus ad Parnassum and in fact Clementi is more musical than Czerny. But, with 15 years of practice, do you need this kind of exercises? I dont know your level but cant you play, for example, the french suites of Bach? Believe me, they are much more interesting than Gradus ad Parnassum, in all senses. After them, you`ll may play three parts Inventions, and so on...
But this is only a sugestion. Only you know your level.
Best wishes and good music
Rui

[septentryon]

Yes I have 15 years of practice but I spent time to 'read' music only. So I rarely work a stuk 'in depth'. I realized that I did not progress for several years  
So I started to correct myself just by playing gradual excercices.

Just to explain my level, I already played the 4th Chopin's study (in C# minor) and the first ballade 10 years ago. But of course it was awfull   I was and I'm still not technically ready.

After them, you`ll may play three parts Inventions, and so on...

Of course I will not only play Clementi.
I also added a prelude et fugue from bach, one Mazurka, one moment musical from schubert, and on moment musical from Rachmaninov.
I'm also trying the Barcarolle from Chopin but I think I 'm dreaming a lot. So difficult to make it musical...

In fact, what I really want to work is my touch, to get a fluid line (wrist and fingers work).
Any idea on how to work this ?

Thank you !!

[birba]

 I think it's dated and worthless.  (Boy, am I going to hear about this!)  I had to prepare a set of them for my diploma and I've never looked at it since.  I know it's been recorded by someone in Italy, but these things are sophisticated nonsense.  Pure excercises are better - you get right to the problem without all the excess - coupled with the right repertoire for your level.

[rmbarbosa]

Precisely for touch and fluid line, nothing may be better than musical pieces, I think. Pure technical exercises dont give musical sensibility to our brain and fingers. I can play scales, for example. But if I play Chopin "etude" with scales, I gain in touch and fluidness. Sometimes, we must play some exercises, of course. But the "goal" is MUSIC... Dont you agree?

[septentryon]

I agree with rmbarbosa,

I think that both pure exercices and musical/technical studies are usefull but for me, music is more important. The goal is to improve technique in music context. That's also why I prefer Clementi than Czerny.
For the moment, I work the for first studies, and I can tell you that they are not so easy that I thought... Especially, the musical interpretation. It's pretty easy to only play the technique of those studies, but it's really difficult (for me) to do it with musical value...

[wankimx3]

Yes I have. I am currently learning the no. 5 etude. There's alot to learn and I hardly learnt the first page well 😅 it turned out alright when I am practicing the first 3/4 of the piece but I started to scratch my head when I see so many dissonants and the keys aren't stable at all. It made my fingers hard to navigate through the piece because there's so many chromatic harmonies and no stable keys.

Do any of you guys learnt this piece (Etude No. 5) ? If you did please give me some suggestions so that I can learn the other parts of the piece more effectively thank you:)