A translation of João Domingos Bomtempo's piano method: a Portuguese contribution to piano pedagogy

This essay offers an English translation of Elementos de Musica e Methodo de Tocar Piano Forte (Elements of Music and Method of Playing the Piano-Forte), op. 19, by the Portuguese composer-pianist João Domingos Bomtempo (1775-1842). His method, the first of its kind written by a Portuguese national, was published in 1816 by Clementi & Co. in London. Bomtempo later rewrote his book, expanding its scope, but the second version survives only as an unfinished manuscript. My translation presents both versions of this instructional work in a single text, distinguishing the contents according to the two sources, with the aim of providing a comprehensive view of Bomtempo’s piano pedagogy. This is the first English translation of Bomtempo’s method. A short biography and critical notes regarding philological and musicological matters clarify ambiguities and contextualize this work within its historical period.