Marianna Martines

Full biography Marianna Martines

Marianna Martines was an accomplished composer and musician who lived during the late eighteenth century in Vienna, Austria. She was born in 1744 into a large and affluent Italian-Austrian family, and she was one of eleven siblings.

From an early age, Marianna showed great musical talent and was given the opportunity to study composition and keyboard performance with some of the most renowned musicians of her time. She studied with composer Christoph Willibald Gluck and keyboardist Johann Baptist Schenk. She also performed for Empress Maria Theresa and the imperial court.

Marianna's music was highly regarded during her lifetime, and she was one of the few women composers of her time to achieve recognition for her work. She composed mainly in the Baroque and early Classical styles and wrote a wide variety of music, including chamber music, songs, and keyboard works.

Some of Marianna's most notable works include her six keyboard fugues, published in 1780, and her "miserere," a sacred piece for soprano, choir, and orchestra. Marianna was also known for her vocal music, particularly her opera "Il primo amore," which premiered in Vienna in 1766.

Despite her accomplishments, Marianna's music fell into obscurity after her death in 1812. Her music was rediscovered in the early 20th century, and today she is recognized as a significant figure in the history of classical music, particularly in the context of women in music.