Czerny | Art of Finger Dexterity, Op. 740 (Piano)

Carl Czerny (1791-1857) was an Austrian composer, teacher and pianist of Czech origin. A child prodigy, he began playing piano at age three and composing at age seven. His first piano teacher was his father, Wenzel Czerny, but he went on to study with Clementi, Hummel, Salieri and Beethoven. Czerny's books of studies for the piano are considered classics of piano pedagogy and continue to be widely used.

Waltons offers eight books by Czerny published by Edition Peters.

Designed for late intermediate to advanced pianists, the Art of Finger Dexterity, Op. 740 has been widely praised for combining beautiful music with highly effective finger training. The systematic exercises Czerny devised for developing finger dexterity are as useful today as when they were first written. Each exercise is preceded by a statement of specific goals. Exercises range from achieving even finger action with a quiet hand to virtuoso studies that emphasize affectations such as the ‘bravura touch’.