Muzio Clementi occupies a unique place in the history of the piano, with his myriad sonatas pushing the traditional classical boundaries of the form, his publishing company and piano manufacturing fi rm prospering both in England and on the Continent, and his famed virtuosity astonishing all who heard him. Remembered as the fi rst of the great piano virtuosos, Clementi condensed his years of composition and performance into the monumental, three-volume Gradus ad Parnassum, a repository of stylistically diverse pieces designed to demonstrate utmost technical mastery of the instrument. This is the last disc in Alessandro Marangoni’s highly acclaimed four single disc survey. Exercises Nos. 1-24 (Volume 1) can be heard on 8572325, Nos. 25-41 (Volume 2) on 8572326, and Nos. 42- 0 (Volume 2), coupled with Nos. 51-65 (Volume 3), on 8572327.
