Gradus ad Parnassum per Pianoforte

Remembered as the first of the great piano virtuosos, Muzio 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. Clementi is obviously training the pianist in a particular technique through repetition, but there is always some melodic element and often an element of compositional structure as well. While Clementi's etudes do not approach the level of appeal or memorability those of Chopin or Debussy, they are able to capture the player's interest. - AllMusic.com