Marianne von Martinez
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Marianne von Martinez (May 4, 1744-December 13, 1812) was a Viennese singer, pianist and composer. She was the most prolific Viennese, woman composer of her time, having composed over 200 works. However, most of her compositions are no longer extant.
Born in Austria of Spanish descent, Marianne’s father, a Neapolitan, was the master-of-ceremonies to the papal nuncio. During Marianne’s childhood years her family lived in a house on the Michaelplatz. The Martinez family shared their 3rd floor apartment with poet and librettist, Pietro Metastasio. In 1750 Joseph Haydn moved into an attic room of the same building. Metastasio became very interested in the precocious talents of Martinez and oversaw her education, musical and otherwise. At the age of 10 she began singing lessons with Niccolo Porpora, Italian opera singer and composer, as well as harpsichord lessons with her upstairs neighbor: Haydn. Soon after she began her music lessons demonstrated a talent for composition and began lessons with Hasse and Giuseppe Bonno. Metastasio also saw to it that Marianne received a thorough education, which far surpassed what was considered standard for women of her social class at that time. It has been reported that she was able to speak and write in several languages, including English.
Her compositions consisted mostly of sacred music. Surviving compositions include four symphonic Masses, six motets, and three litanies for choir. She wrote in the Italian style, as was typical for the early Classical Period in Vienna. Her harpsichord performance practice was compared to the style of C.P.E. Bach. Marianne’s compositions were well regarded in her time, and some scholars have suggested that Mozart modeled his 1768 Mass, K. 139, after the “Christe” of Martinez’s Mass No. 1 in D major. The Vienna court chapel, St. Michael’s Church, saw a performance of her third mass in 1761. Her fourth mass was completed in 1765. Immediately thereafter Emperor Joseph II came into power and reinstated dated restrictions that prevented women from performing music in the church. Though she did not compose any more large sacred works, Martinez did continue to write psalm settings on commission.
Martinez’s name and music was known throughout Europe, and she was admitted to the Accademia Filaromica of Bologna in 1773. In the same year, she was granted membership to the “Weiner Tonkünstler-Societät,” a prestigious musical society that supported composers and provided the means for public performances. It was through this society that Martinez’s oratorio “Isacco figura del redentore” made its premiere.
Marianne and her sister, neither of whom ever married, looked after family friend Metastasio until his death in 1782. Upon his passing, Metastasio left his estate to the Martinez family; Marianne received 20,000 florins, Metastasio’s harpsichord and his music library. Marianne and her sister hosted musical soirees at their home. These weekly musical events attracted many distinguished guests, including Haydn and Irish tenor Michael Kelly. Mozart also was a frequent guest to the soirees and composed four-hand piano sonatas to perform with Marianne. In the 1790s Marianne opened a singing school in her home, and trained amateurs as well as professionals.
Though she was an active and highly accomplished performer and composer she never sought an appointed position; it would have been unacceptable for a woman in her social class to seek such employment.
Her last knows public appearance was in attendance to a concert with her former teacher, Joseph Haydn, to hear Salieri conduct Haydn’s Die Schöpfung (The Creation) on March 27, 1808. She died on 13 December 1812 and was buried in St. Mark’s Cemetery.
Known Works: 2 Oratorios; 4 Masses; 6 Motets; Psalm Cantatas; Secular cantatas; 3 Keyboard Sonatas, 1 Keyboard Concerto; and 1 Symphony.
Several of her pieces have been published in recent years. The three Keyboard Sonatas (in E Major, G Major and A Major) are available through Hildegard Publishing. Many works are also available through Furove-Verlag, a German publisher that specializes in works by women composers. They offer many first publications, including: the Keyboard Concerto in A; Dixit Dominus for Soli, Choir and Orchestra; In Exitu Israel de Agypto, Psalm for Soli, Choir and Orchestra; Laudate Pueri Dominum, Psalm 112, for SATB choir and orchestra; the Fourth Mass.
Bibliography:
Women of Note: Marianna Martinez. 2006. [Online]. Available from http://www.ambache.co.uk/wMartinez.htm. 27 January 2007.
Jackson, Barbara Garvey. “Musical Women of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.” In Women and Music: A History, ed. Karin Pendle, 54-94. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991.
Neuls-Bates, Carol, ed. Women in Music. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1996.
Pendle, Karin. “Marianne von Martinez.” In Historical Anthology of Music by Women, ed. James Briscoe, 88-89. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987.
Wessely, Helene. “Martinez, Marianne von,” Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 27 January 2007), <http://www.grovemusic.com>
Discography:
Blankenburg, Elke Mascha. Marianna Martinez: Psalm Cantatas. Koch Schwann B000001SOK, 1995. Compact disc.
Harbach, Barbara. 18th Century Woman Composers. Gasparo Records: B000025YJJ, 1995. Compact Disc.
Jakuc, Monica. Haydn, Martinez and Auenbrugger. Titanic, B000001I7X, 1993. Compact disc.
Rees, Leanne. Woman Composers and the Men in Their Lives. Fleur de Son, B0000479BH, 2000. Compact disc.
