The great – and by the way also pedagogically inclined – musicians Muzio Clementi and Johann Joseph Fux were remarkably bold, 200 and 300 years ago respectively. Both titled their truly extraordinary instructional works “Gradus ad Parnassum,” one focused on developing good piano technique, the other dedicated to a profound understanding of the art of counterpoint. This is a craft that Claude Debussy once described as “the most cumbersome thing in music,” though he expressed this with the deepest admiration for the great master Palestrina, who was commemorated in Fux’s Gradus.
Still, Debussy didn’t lose his playful sense of humor despite his reverence. He titled the first piece from his collection Children’s Corner“ Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum.”
“Doctor Gradus…!” – though he probably thought more of Clementi than of Fux. A cheeky move, indeed – but Debussy sought to impart valuable knowledge and skills in a playful manner, avoiding paralyzing awe of tradition and tedious repetition of technical exercises. He wanted his little daughter to start playing the piano soon, and she did, but predictably, Papa Debussy was not satisfied with the lessons.
Nowadays, we no longer dare to define the goal as precisely as Parnassus. We cannot become gods or muses. Let us rather see ourselves as a kind of mountaineer. What remains indisputable is the pedagogical truth that one must not skip steps. Those who try will either stumble or have to step back later to make up for what they missed – and that makes it doubly hard. Highly gifted individuals may seem to leap three steps at a time, but even they skip none. And for us, there is no Parnassus – unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately – for as Robert Schumann wrote: “There is no end to learning.”
This is where the comforting notion comes into play that the “journey” itself is the “goal.” One maxim spurs us on, while the other helps us maintain balance – both of great value, especially for those young people who have already climbed so many steps and yet look to the future full of hope and expectation. It is both an important and beautiful task to take them by the hand along the way.
