Well, just to chime in once again, if you'd prefer not playing the Kulau, consider what Mozart played to hone his skills. Bach, Sweelinck, Frescobaldi, Rameau, Scarlatti, Buxtehude, et al. To me, Kulau offers a lot more musical warmth and interest than some of the dry bones Mozart had to rely on (not Bach, BTW).

More importantly, the piano was changing dramatically, and new skills are needed for the modern instrument which were not needed for Mozart's instruments. Clementi and Kulau offer a student an opportunity to develop these skills methodically.

Another part of the problem is that due to various reasons, students are not putting in the time at the piano as elementary grade students, and thus, when they should be able to play most of the Clementi and Kulau sonatinas by the 5th or 6th grade, many of them are just reaching the easiest of these. Of course, these are not musical masterpieces, but the composers didn't just hack them out, either. It's not surprising that a more mature mind might not find these as fascinating as a younger student, for whom they were conceived.

It sounds to me like it's more a case of you being disappointed that she's taken out the Mozart, rather than an active dislike of Kuhlau. Perhaps you feel it's a backwards step? My students have always enjoyed Kuhlau - his sonatinas feel very nice under the hands, and certainly deal with many of the things you will deal with in Mozart, but in shorter and simpler form. From the op.55 I personally prefer nos. 3 and 6. Unless there's a specific technical aspect your teacher wishes you to come to grips with (like the 2 against 3), you might talk about playing a few of them to find one that appeals to you more than #4.
Otherwise, patience . Kuhlau probably isn't going to take you months and months to master, and your Mozart, when you come back to it, will only be better for the extra preparation.

Thanks John for the admission ...

"Of course, these are not musical masterpieces".

This after introducing us to
"Clementi and Kuhlau offer a student an opportunity to develop these skills methodically" (can't resist adding the word "dull".)

But why not come up with a masterpiece by Mozart or Bach? ... it's rot to suggest that you need to advance to the upper grades (after three years of dreary piano lessons) before savouring genius.

I don't think anyone is actually suggesting this. Just that, in this case, it might be worth trying the Kuhlau, or at least discussing the reasons for the choice with the teacher. We don't actually know what other pieces baaaad_kitty is playing. Maybe there are a few masterpieces scattered among them .

(I quite like Kuhlau - if you want dull, there's always Czerny )

currawong,

You have gone and spoilt my morning reverie with the mention of Czerny.

And to think that the joker took lessons with Beethoven from 1801 to 1803 ...

According to my reference, he was thoroughly acquainted with nearly all Beethoven’s works (which he knew from memory) as well as with the composer himself ... perhaps the effect was a bit like sitting too close to a black hole ... the might of Ludwig seems to have sucked all vitality out of the poor chappie ... bet he coined a pile from his 1842 memoirs with "many fascinating details about Beethoven".

I’ll feel better after I’ve taken an aspirin ... where do you get these dullards?

Sorry I set your stomach Czerning

If the truth be known, there are even some Czerny studies that I quite like. I think he just overdid it a bit .

It really depends on the student really.

If you know your student is open minded and has a mind of his own, which he can actually explain, all is fine. If your student doesn't know better then not.

I mean, at my current situation (well, not really a student anymore), I wouldn't want anyone telling me "Oh no! You NEED to play this! You WILL like it, you'll see". I don't need that anymore. I know who I am etc, no matter how arrogant it sounds. I can make up my mind on what I like and what not. And I know perfectly well that there are alternatives, Kuhlau is not the only composers easier than Mozart.

If someone hasn't heard much and seems close minded and obssessed, maybe, to one style of music, Khulau will do him good.

Khulau is not Czerny, it's not an etude. The student HAS a right to like and dislike, as long as it's not based in ignorance I say!

I find choosing pieces for my students very difficult if they don't communicate their likes and dislikes. I might assign a piece which I love and other students have enjoyed only to find that a particular student hates it. The trouble is they often don't tell me until it becomes clear that they are making little progress with it.

Sometimes I might set a certain piece to develop an aspect of technique or musicianship. I would hope that an open minded student would give me the benefit of the doubt even if they were not keen on it. Unfortunately musicians are often faced with learning music which does not appeal to them. I can't tell you how many accompaniments I have had to learn which were horrible (IMO). If you play in an orchestra or ensemble you will have to play music which might not do anything for you. It's all part of the experience.

It's easy to say that a student will practice a great masterpiece because they really want to play it but it is not very realistic. If this were the case then we might as well hand out Chopin Ballades in the first lesson and tell them to come back when they are finished. You have to learn to walk before you can run. Good teachers are (or have been) good pianists. They know the steps which must be taken to achieve this. I think that the student should respect this. If not then why pay them for tuition?

I haven't read all the posts so this may have already been suggested.

Tell your teacher that this piece does not motivate you and ask him or her to play it for you for inspiration.

Gosh, I'm hurt, btb.

I really do like Kuhlau! Op. 55 #1 is delightful! There is a little bit of everything in it, syncopation, chromatic scales, etc... And it's short and I think fun!! I also like Clementi's Sonatina Op. 36 #3. There are some challenging phrases in this one and also has a little bit of everything and delghtful to play and listen to as well.

Enjoy the process. By learning these easier pieces before going on to a Mozart Sonata will only make you a better player and if ever you want to teach, a better teacher too.

How long have you been taking lessons? If you are just getting into intermediate level, I really can't see why you would not like to play some of these Sonatinas. Maybe Op 55 #3 is not to your liking, well okay, but the others I mentioned are really quite nice. Much like Mozart, but easier.

Sorry, btb, I was admitting nothing of the sort. I, too, like both Clementi and Kulau. That they are not musical masterpieces doesn't meen they are not enjoyable to play. They may not be appropriate for every student, however.

I cannot recall any of Elvis' songs that were musical masterpieces, but I certainly enjoyed most of them. Ditto The Beatles (I'm showing my age).