Born in Rome, Clementi left for England as a teenager and built most of his career in London as a pianist, teacher, music publisher and piano maker. In 1781, in Vienna, he played against Mozart before Emperor Joseph II. He wrote dozens of sonatas and a large book of studies, the Gradus ad Parnassum. His Six Sonatinas, Op. 36, published in 1797, have stayed in piano students' repertoire ever since.
The catalogue offers the whole Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1: play its three movements in order. The C major Allegro works on right-hand scales and arpeggios, with many quick leaps; keep the left hand light, as it only accompanies. The Andante, in F major, asks for a smooth, singing line and a few trills and grace notes placed without breaking it. The closing Vivace is the fastest: the right hand goes beyond five notes per second and the left hand takes a more active part.