Composer: Muzio Clementi; Work: Piano Works; Performers: Maria Tipo; Label/Year: Warner 2023. Grade: B.
Once dubbed the “father of the pianoforte,” Muzio Clementi’s compositions flutter through Tipo’s fingers like a flurry of confetti at a second-rate New Year’s Eve party – colorful, yet a touch insipid. His piano works, while technically competent, have a sameness about them that even a seasoned aficionado might find a bit like navigating through a corn maze in Nebraska – it’s all corn.
Despite the uninspiring landscape, Tipo manages to find some charm in the monotony, like a Nebraska native spotting a single stalk of blue corn in a sea of yellow. His performance is akin to a laid-back Sunday drive, unhurried and reflective, but also a tad too comfortable, like an old recliner that’s known one too many nap sessions. For Clementi die-hards this release will be a “must-have,” for others, it’ll be more of a “might-listen-if-there’s-nothing-else-on.”
