Martinez

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 TonkÑŒnstler-SocietÐ't," 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. 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 Schцpfung (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.

Marianne Martinez was the daughter of a Spanish diplomat who lived in Vienna where she was born and raised - smack in the age of Haydn and Mozart, and soon to be Beethoven's. Vienna was the musical center of Europe, the most exciting place to be - and Marianne, properly connected and moving in the right circles,