DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2022, College-Conservatory of Music: Conducting, Choral Emphasis

From the eighteenth century to the present, commentators on the music of Marianna von Martines (1744-1812) have noted her compositions' mixture of old and new musical styles. Existing scholarship, however, lacks a critical assessment of style across a group of her works, or of how her approach to style relates to that of her contemporaries. The present study addresses this lack, by examining Martines's four settings of the Latin mass as a group and by placing them in conversation with compositional traditions of the eighteenth century. This study begins by surveying eighteenth-century conceptions of style, interrogating the many meanings of the term “galant,” and examining trends in mass composition in eighteenth-century Vienna. This document's central project is an analysis of musical style in Martines's masses. It outlines a provisional chronology for the masses, arguing that the undated “Messe No. I” is in fact the latest of the four. Subsequent chapters examine three key aspects of Martines's style: form and tonality, galant schemata, and the learned style. These chapters investigate how her approaches followed, developed, bent, or flouted contemporary stylistic conventions, and identify a number of broad progressions throughout the masses. Formal and tonal organization develop significantly. Galant schemata play an increasingly important role in motivic and tonal development. Learned gestures increasingly serve schematic and developmental goals. In light of such stylistic interweaving, this document also calls for a broad re-evaluation of the relationship between the concepts of “galant” and “learned.” The concept of “concealed art” was fundamental to the galant aesthetic; thus, when eighteenth-century European composers fashioned galant schemata out of learned materials, this interweaving embodies the very essence of galant behavior. Additionally, sacred choral music deserves broader consideration in studies of galant music, as one of the primary (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: L. Brett Scott D.M.A. (Committee Chair); Matthew Peattie Ph.D (Committee Member); Joe Miller D.M.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2021, Music

The primary objective of this document is the creation of a critical edition of the Litany in G Major, composed in 1775 by Marianna Martines. The editing of this unpublished litany was completed through careful examination of the composer's autograph score. A critical report is included in the document, detailing the editorial choices made while creating the edition. The music of singer, keyboardist, and composer, Marianna Martines (1744-1812), was admired by Viennese society in the eighteenth century. This protegee of poet Metastasio studied keyboard with Joseph Haydn, composition with Giuseppe Bonno, and voice with Nicola Porpora. Martines was held in high regard by Leopold and Wolfgang A. Mozart and performed keyboard duets by the latter with the composer himself in her home. While Martines excelled at her craft and was respected in her time, many of her compositions remain unpublished and those that are available in a modern score are not widely performed. This document provides a biography of the composer, examines the liturgical choral compositions of Marianna Martines, and explores the text and form of the litany of the eighteenth century, specifically Martines's Litany in G Major. The critical edition is included in Appendix A, preceded by a critical report. The document will provide a resource for conductors who may consider performing the Martines litany.

Committee: Robert Bode (Advisor); Robert Ward (Committee Member); Russel Mikkelson (Committee Member); Graeme Boone (Committee Member) Subjects: Music