Czerny - Op. 740

[samwitdangol]

Hello,

I was looking at some past threads and noticed that Czerny is often dismissed as dull and useless. I am currently working on Czerny Op. 740 and think they're quite musical and beneficial. I want to know what you guys think about Op. 740; do you think they are musical and advantegeous? Are they harmful?

[kitty on the keys]

Hi,
   I am glad you are looking into the Czerny Op. 740!!!!! I was fortunate to know Vivian Harvey Slater who has recorded the Op. 299 and  740. She was a beacon of knowledge on piano techniqiue and musicality. In her classes she made them sound like wonderful pieces of music. Just dig a little deeper beyond all the notes and discover the wonderful music that lies beneath them. You can find her recordings on youtube. Have fun and discover Czerny!

Kitty on the keys

[cuberdrift]

Hello,

I was looking at some past threads and noticed that Czerny is often dismissed as dull and useless. I am currently working on Czerny Op. 740 and think they're quite musical and beneficial. I want to know what you guys think about Op. 740; do you think they are musical and advantegeous? Are they harmful?

Most Czerny etudes are designed for practicality. Czerny was an extremely busy man who seemed mostly concerned with quantity over quality. He has been described as rather frugal - growing up poor - and convinced that the old Viennese school of Mozart/Haydn/Beethoven was superior aesthetically to the Parisian virtuosi that began to develop in the early 19th century.

Some of his works are worth listening to as serious music, though, particularly his Sonatas and Prelude & Fugues (check out his Nouveau Gradus ad Parnassum). He has been described as a man who was probably more inclined with proliferating the works of the "masters" of the Viennese classical school than his own.

Anyway, back on topic - yes, they are helpful, particularly in developing a solid and elegant classical technique. One advantage is that they are very easy to read and memorise. They aren't harmful at all. If you feel you are improving through them, than by all means, work on them.