Minuet (after Haydn)
Muzio Clementi (1801)
Description
A second piece after Haydn, a minuet. Most of what Clementi gathered into Op. 42 is in the major; this one is in C-sharp minor — a minor key with four sharps, an unusual choice for a collection aimed at beginners.
In C-sharp minor and triple meter: 190 notes, under forty-five seconds. There are few notes and the melody is short, but the key uses so many black notes that the hand is tested more than the page suggests. The minuet's metrical character is intact and the harmony is simple; the key signature is the only hard thing about it.
A beginner piece. Fix the fingering with a C-sharp minor scale before coming to the page. Keys that run along the black notes change how far the fingers reach in, so keeping the wrist at a constant height helps. Accidentals are easy to miss here: finish reading slowly before raising the speed.
A piano method Clementi published in 1801, comprising 50 lessons that arrange famous Baroque and Classical works for solo piano.
Browse all songs in Introduction to the Art of Playing on the Piano Forte Op.42 →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Muzio Clementi (1752-1832)
Muzio Clementi was born in Rome and moved to England while still young, building a career in London as a pianist, composer, and instrument manufacturer. Often called the "father of the pianoforte," he wrote the study collection Gradus ad Parnassum and numerous sonatinas that remain staples of piano pedagogy. This site includes pieces from his Op. 42 tutor, built on "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" and melodies by Haydn and Mozart, along with movements from the Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 1.
View all works by Clementi →