# What do you think of Carl Czerny?



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

His pedagogical exercises are rather dry and uninteresting but what do you think of his main body of work? Ok, heavily influenced by Beethoven but his symphonies don't half blow away the cobwebs. He wrote a few decent piano sonatas and string quartets, also. Perhaps on par with Ries and Moscheles?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bel Canto Concertante and Grand Concerto in A, minor are my favourites, very pleasant music.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I would say his obscurity speaks volumes about the quality of his music.


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

hpowders said:


> I would say his obscurity speaks volumes about the quality of his music.


I do tend to agree but his symphonies are nice if not very original. But he does deserve a mention if only because he could play all of Beethoven's piano sonatas off by heart, which at the time was very impressive. Wasn't the Hammerclaiver classed as unplayable until new techniques were introduced, through Czerny and Liszt I assume?


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Try his piano trios and quartets. More original than his symphonies and string quartets.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I have four of his symphonies on CD, "nice", not more than that for me.
A little bit better imo are his nocturnes.
I have not heard anything else, but based on these 3 CD's I'm not inclined to check further.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Hyperion Records is releasing the never-before-recorded Czerny Op 28 Piano Concerto and a Rondo Brilliant for Piano & orchestra in April. It includes the more well known A Minor Op 214 Piano Concerto.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

DaveM said:


> Hyperion Records is releasing the never-before-recorded Czerny Op 28 Piano Concerto and a Rondo Brilliant for Piano & orchestra in April. It includes the more well known A Minor Op 214 Piano Concerto.


Looking forward to it, wonderful music.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I do enjoy some of his symphonies (1 and 5). Maybe my favorite work of his is the Nonet.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

beetzart said:


> I do tend to agree but his symphonies are nice if not very original. But he does deserve a mention if only because he could play all of Beethoven's piano sonatas off by heart, which at the time was very impressive. Wasn't the Hammerclaiver classed as unplayable until new techniques were introduced, through Czerny and Liszt I assume?


I am sure there are some rewarding pieces; just as there are by Hummel and Spohr; just not enough of them when compared to the level of consistency of the great composers.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

I don't know much of Czerny's non-pedagogical work, but I'm a huge fan of his pedagogical exercises. His School of Velocity, Op. 299, contains many useful exercises which help to prepare students for Beethoven's piano sonatas (among other works). He did a great job of isolating the technical challenges in Beethoven's sonatas, and devising drills to help students develop the necessary technical abilities to tackle these works.


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## cimirro (Sep 6, 2016)

Chopin music is very influenced by Czerny and few know or even mention it.
I like his piano Sonatas, specially the No.3 Op.57

and Czerny Toccata Op.92 is a great example of his influence on Schumann's Toccata





By the way, the Italian composer and pianist Emanuele Delucchi is making the premiere of the 24 Preludes and Fugues by Czerny Op.856
The first 12 pieces are already on youtube:




the second concert will be done ins some days (April 13th)

All the best
Artur Cimirro


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

I have only ever heard one piece by Carl Czerny - and that is variations on a theme composed by another, namely Joseph Haydn.






But I really liked what I heard.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Unknown is unloved.


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