Written in the late 1770s apparently for him and his sister to perform and with the orchestra scaled back to let the dialogue between the two soloists stand out, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 10 for TWO pianos is today’s Midday Masterpiece.
Mozart also composed four-hand piano sonatas to perform with Viennese harpsichordist, pianist, singer and composer Marianne Martines at salons in her home. It is also believed that Mozart composed his Piano Concerto No. 5 for Martines to perform. Marianne Martines is today’s featured composer for Women’s History Month.
- Marianne Martines (1744–1812) was an Austrian composer active and widely esteemed during the age of Haydn and Mozart. She was the author of the only symphony composed by a woman during the Classical period.
- The large building where her family lived in Vienna included other many notable residents including one who was unknown at the time but would become famous: in the cold attic room for a tenant of low status lived the young aspiring composer Joseph Haydn, from whom young Marianne took piano lessons.
- Her talent for composition was soon recognized and began lessons including with the Imperial Court composer. Her talent for playing keyboard and singing grew to such proficiency that she performed before the Imperial Court.
- Martines eventually composed around 200 works including symphonic masses, oratorios, instrumental works and more. Her name and music were known throughout Europe. A fire in 1927 destroyed many of her manuscripts so the full extent of her compositional output remains unclear.
- Never married, Martinez died of tuberculosis on December 13, 1812.
