Choral Journal

The April issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Marianna von Martines’s Dixit Dominus: A Stylistic Synthesis” by Joseph Taff. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction.

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Born in Vienna in 1744, Marianna von Martines received a thorough grounding in Baroque compositional techniques, but lived and worked in an era when a newer, more “galant” style had become fashionable.

Her contemporaries often noted and praised the balance of old and new stylistic qualities in her composition. English music historian Charles Burney, who visited the Martines family in 1772, called Marianna’s arias “very well written, in a modern style; but neither common, nor unnaturally new,” and cited Martines’s teacher, mentor, and housemate Metastasio’s description of one of her psalm settings as “a most agreeable Mescolanza…of antico e moderno.” Metastasio himself wrote to a friend that Martines “chose to avail herself of both the grace of the modern style, avoiding its licenses, and the harmonious solidity of the old ecclesiastical style, divested of its Gothicisms.” Burney’s and Metastasio’s remarks are often cited and echoed in more recent literature on Martines and her style. They do not specify what stylistic elements diff erentiated “antico” from “moderno,” or what elements Martines drew from each source. Nonetheless, they make it clear that synthesis of old and new styles was a key piece of Martines’s compositional approach.

The Martines family was well connected at the Habsburg court in Vienna. Her eldest brother “served as tutor to at least three of the sixteen royal children born to [Empress] Maria Theresa,” and the other three Martines brothers were all esteemed soldiers or civil servants; the entire family was granted noble status in 1774, the year Marianna composed her Dixit Dominus. The royal family’s enjoyment of Marianna’s music likely contributed to her family’s status. An 1846 biographical article on Martines in the Wiener allgemeine Musik-Zeitung mentions that the Empress would often ask Martines to perform for her, and that her son Joseph II would sometimes turn pages for Martines.6

Robert Gjerdingen notes that “the cultured nobility” of eighteenth-century Europe were expected to embody a certain “collection of traits, attitudes, and manners” encapsulated by the versatile adjective “galant,” and that galant manners were expressed through music as well, in a courtly style “grounded in a repertory of stock musical phrases.” Martines would undoubtedly have been expected to display galant qualities in both her musical performances and social dealings at court.

Martines’s musical education nevertheless provided her with ample exposure to Baroque musical style. In an autobiographical letter, she lists Handel, Lotti, and Caldara among her chief influences; even when discussing her more contemporary role models, she cites three composers at least thirty years older than she (Hasse, Jomelli, and Galuppi). This emphasis on emulating older music is unsurprising given that her education was directed chiefly by Metastasio, who was born in 1698.
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ACDA members can log in with their username and password to view and download the newest edition. You can also read our electronic version. Below is a preview of the articles you will find in this issue. If you are not already a member of ACDA, join today to start receiving your monthly Choral Journal! Associate members can join for only $45 a year.

The newest issue of Choral Journal is available online. Following is a list of the articles you will find in this issue.

ACDA members can log in with their username and password to view and download the newest edition. You can also read our electronic version. Below is a preview of the articles you will find in this issue. If you are not already a member of ACDA, join today to start receiving your monthly Choral Journal! Associate members can join for only $45 a year.
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Marianna von Martines’s Dixit Dominus: A Stylistic Synthesis by Joseph Taff

Mozart, Süßmayr, and Musical Propaganda: Revaluing Political Choral Music for Modern Performance by Mark Nabholz

Interview with Three Canadian Choral Composers by Geoffrey Bell

On the Voice
Categorizing and Notating Timbres for Vocal Ensembles by Fahad Siadat

Conducting during COVID: What is possible and how has the role of the conductor changed? by Rachel Carlson and Scot Hanna-Weir

Research Report
Choral Rehearsals During COVID: Examining Singer Engagement by Matthew Swanson, Eva Floyd, and David Kirkendall

Choral Reviews

The February issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Music Matters: A Pedagogical Framework for Literature Selection” by Jabarie E. Glass. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Following is a portion from the introduction.

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A perpetual conversation among choral conductors has existed concerning the selection of literature. Choral professionals have written about this topic from varying viewpoints, including examinations of literature quality; literature selection practices based on historical, aesthetic, and pedagogical evaluation; literature appropriateness and accessibility; and issues related to diversity and inclusion.

Discussion has been robust because we understand the numerous influences literature selection has on the success of choral organizations—among these are singer engagement, member recruitment and retention, rehearsal and performance quality, personal musical development, and the musical tastes of both ensemble members and the communities in which choral organizations function.

Added to this list is the profound impact that repertoire choices have on choral singers’ musical growth. Through literature study, singers gain an understanding of musical concepts, establish and continue to develop their musicianship skills and vocal abilities, and engage in historical and cultural discourse.

Literature choices should facilitate the acquisition and development of specific musical knowledge and skills. The music we study and perform with our ensembles should be chosen with the pedagogical intent to introduce, develop, and reinforce the musical concepts and skill sets we deem essential for an adept choral musician.

Through literature study, singers develop skills related to part independence, phrasing, articulation, rhythmic precision, diction, intonation, listening, literacy, improvisation, tone development, and genre- and style-specific musical elements. Furthermore, singers develop an understanding of compositional construction (e.g., style and form, notational devices, the fusion of text and sound, and harmony constructs) through engaging with specific literature.

Also, the literature we choose for studying and performing creates opportunities for singers to become conversant with the complex connections between music and the cultural and societal contexts in which it was created; the historical and social influences on musical development; and how music has shaped and continues to impact our views of self, others, and the society in which we live. Engaging with literature from this perspective—in tandem with intentional performative skill development—makes content relevant to singers, broadens their world perspective, and deepens their appreciation for the diverse styles and genres they encounter.

View this full article (and more!) in the February 2021 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org