Dates: 1744 - 1812
Nationality: Austrian
Period: Classical
Genre: Symphony
Key musical elements:
- Tempo / dynamics
About Marianne von Martínez
- Marianne von Martínez was born in 18th Century Vienna; a city filled with Classical Arts and a community who loved to listen and them.
- One of her neighbours in her apartment building was the young composer, Joseph Haydn. Marianne received keyboard lessons from Haydn. She later introduced Haydn to several composers who helped develop Haydn’s career.
- In 1773, she was the first woman to be given the title of ‘Honorary member of the Accademia Filharmonia Bologna’, paving the way for other female composers to achieve similar levels of status.
- As a young girl with musical talents living at a time when only male musicians could work professionally, community played an important part of Martínez’s success. She was fortunate to know several musicians who helped her – many other female musicians from the 18th century were not so lucky.
About the music
- Marianne von Martínez is credited with being the first woman composer to compose a symphony.
- The piece is called Overture ('Sinfonie') in C major - Allegro con spirito (1st mvt) - at the time, a symphony was called an 'Overture'. Nowadays, we know an 'Overture' as an introduction which is normally found at the beginning of an opera. A symphony is a long piece of music composed for an orchestra.
- A symphony from the 18th Century was usually be made up of four movements: a fast movement, a slow movement, a minuet and trio and then another fast movement.
- This piece is marked Allegro con spirito which means fast, lively and played with spirit and it is the first fast movement in her symphony.
Listen out for:
- The parts of the music that capture Martínez's tempo instruction Allegro con spirito [lively and with spirit] - can you identify them?
- The violins at the beginning lead the melody with energy. They have lots of fast semiquavers runs, repeated notes and phrases and this gives the piece a sense of movement.
- The sounds of the harpsichord - an older sibling of the modern day piano - and the string instruments.
- Which wind and brass instruments can you hear?
- Dynamic contrast: can you spot when the music is loud, then suddenly quiet?
- You might also hear how Marianne uses repetition; melodies are repeated, and larger sections are played again.
- Marianne also creates whole musical patterns, or sequences, from one idea – see if you can spot them.
Watch the films
Shini Muthukrishnan introduces the musical community and symphonic work of Marianne von Martinez and the fast, lively tempo and melodies of the 1st movement in her 'Sinfonie' in C major
Shini:
What comes to mind when you think about your community? Your neighbours? Your friends? Your school? It might be your street.
Sometimes, a whole community lives in one building.
Composer Marianne Martinez lived with her family in an apartment block in Vienna, Austria, over two hundred and fifty years ago.
The community living around Marianne Martinez turned out to be the perfect people to help her unlock and develop her extraordinary talent for music.
This particular community of neighbours included composers and a famous singing teacher.
Imagine being interested in music and your building just happens to be full of other talented musicians who love music as much as you do - fantastic!
At the age of seven, Marianne Martinez was having keyboard lessons with Haydn… that’s Joseph Haydn who later became one of the most famous composers. He was living in the attic flat!
She was also having singing lessons from the teacher who lived upstairs, and composition lessons from musicians living nearby.
You’ve probably got the idea by now that Vienna was a very special place for music around the 18th Century. You couldn’t walk down the street without bumping into a musician!
Marianne Martinez was very lucky when it came to the like-minded people living alongside her, but she was less lucky when it came to the time in which she was living.
Even though she was an incredibly talented composer and performer, back in those days, women were not allowed to work professionally as musicians.
It must have been frustrating being told you can’t do the job that you love.
Despite not being allowed to compose for a living, her talent was impossible to ignore. She was often asked to perform at public events as a singer and keyboard player, including for the royal court of Empress Maria Theresa.
Marianne Martinez also hosted concerts. Ever heard of Mozart?
Well, he used to come to her parties, and composed pieces for them both to play together. This is some super A list stuff!
Marianne Martinez wrote over two hundred pieces of music including religious pieces, works for the keyboard, voice and orchestra. But this piece, Symphony in C is special. It is special because it is thought to be the first symphony composed by a woman.
A symphony is a big piece of music for orchestra, usually with 4 sections, or movements, each with a different feel.
The first movement of Marianne Martinez symphony is marked by the composer as Allegro con spirito in Italian which means it should be played fast, lively and with lots of spirit!
The lively melody and rhythms at the start of her symphony, played by the strings gives the music a really celebratory feeling.
The melody is repeated throughout the piece with different harmonies underneath. This changes the music from a happy sounding major key to a muddier sounding minor key.
Marianne Martinez has written lots of different dynamics in her symphony to guide the musicians on how loud or quiet the notes should be played. Composers usually write markings like dynamics in Italian.
Marianne Martinez often marks the music as piano or quiet and then follows this with a musical reply that is forte which means loud or even fortissimo which is very loud!
It’s like a musical conversation of whispering and shouting!
Marianne Martinez was a remarkable woman. An incredible composer and performer, respected and celebrated by the key figures of the time, and yet, have you ever heard of her?
You’ve probably heard of Mozart, maybe even of Haydn, but the likelihood is that you’ve never heard of Marianne Martinez. But she paved the way for many women composers who followed her and it’s about time people learned her name and how extraordinarily talented she was.
Gwyliwch Cerddorfa Cyngerdd y BBC yn perfformio Sinfonie yn C fwyaf – Allegro con spirito (symudiad 1af), a’u harwain gan Ellie Slorach
Classroom resources
Lesson plan (KS2/2nd level/Progression Step 3)
the lesson plan for four weeks of learning and activities for Symphony in C (PDF)
Powerpoint slides (KS2/2nd Level/Progression Step 3)
the Powerpoint slides for four weeks of learning and activities for Symphony in C (PPT)
Listen to the audio
Listen to the BBC Concert Orchestra performance of Symphony in C (mp3)
KS3 / Third and Fourth Level, S1-3 Independent Lesson Worksheet
this worksheet for secondary level cover lesson activity to be completed alongside the intro and performance films - Overture ('Sinfonie') in C major (PDF)
and showcase your creative responses
your creative responses to the BBC Ten Pieces Showcase
Arrangements
These arrangements of Martinez's Sinfonie in C by Sarah Freestone have been designed so that all levels are interchangeable.