Seconda Messa

A mass composition by a young Viennese composer. In 1760 at the age of 16 Marianna von Martines (1744–1812) composed her Seconda Messa. Just one year later, another mass of hers was performed in Vienna. From an early age Martines received a great deal of support and encouragement: her teachers included the youthful Joseph Haydn. Martines went on to gain considerable respect as a performer, composer, and teacher. She was also accepted as the first woman into the renowned Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna – whose members included Johann Christian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The Seconda Messa in the galant style is quite short, lasting only half an hour. Martines’ mastery of the stile antico is evident in her traditional use of fugues at the end of the sections of the mass. The Gloria and Credo are through-composed, with frequent shifts between solo and tutti. In the Benedictus the scoring of church trio is enhanced by the addition of two obbligato trombones. In short, it is a work that can be performed to great effect even with a small ensemble.