Not only was Marianne Martine the first woman documented to have written a symphony, but because of this, in eighteenth century Vienna, she stood alongside Mozart as the first female admission to the Academy of Bologna.
In 1770, her portrait was painted, a commemoration of her achievements, but unfortunately an all too rare acknowledgement to women in classical music.
Italian composer Maddalena Cassulana is credited as the first woman to publish music.
In 1568, the preface of her first collection of madrigals read: “To show to the world the foolish error of men who so greatly believe themselves to be the masters of high intellectual gifts, that these gifts cannot, it seems to them, be equally common among women.”
“Women have always faced obstacles — the early history of written western music is closely tied with the Catholic Church and so women did not have much of a foothold,” Dr. Liane Curtis, President of the Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy said.
“But there were always exceptions, and we have to look for those exceptions. With the rise of the women’s movement, and the understanding that women have always been accomplishing things but have just been cut out of the picture and not been credited for what they have accomplished and achieved, we can now take a fresh look at music history with a more inclusive view,” Dr. Curtis said.
The Women’s Philharmonic is an orchestra which began in 1981, dedicated to female composers. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the group was led by conductor JoAnn Falletta until the late 1990s. When Dr. Curtis made it to the board, the orchestra was going under due to financial reasons.
“An orchestra is a very large and complicated organism — The Women’s Philharmonic was fully professional, everyone was paid union scale, so it was no small budget thing,” Dr. Curtis said.
“When it shut down, some of us were thinking about all they had accomplished in those 24 years, with more than 300 different works by women that they had performed, both commissions and recent works as well as historic excavations of amazing music from the past,” Dr. Curtis said.
So, the members decided to carry on the legacy of The Women’s Philharmonic, creating the Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy. (WPA). The WPA encourages other orchestras to celebrate women’s music, both past and present.
“Women have always written music and a lot of it is genuinely excellent! We want to make sure the composers that TWP had brought to light would not be forgotten again, and so that more would continue to be discovered,” Dr. Curtis said.
Ashland Symphony’s upcoming concerts on Oct. 26 and 27 feature a tremendous symphony by Marianne Martines, which “bursts with energy and excitement,” according to ASO’s Music Director and Conductor, Michael Repper.
The youngest North American conductor to win a GRAMMY® Award in Best Orchestral Performance, Repper is in charge of programming the music that the orchestra performs.
Martines discovered works include the following: two oratorios, four masses, six motets, psalm and secular cantatas, three keyboard sonatas, three keyboard concertos, and one symphony.
To both Repper and ASO, it is critical that they are representing both emerging composers of the present-day, as well as historical composers, like Martines, who have been neglected throughout history due to systematic issues in our society.
“Historically, these barriers have applied in particular to music by women and people of color. Limiting one’s programming choices to only a section of the human population also limits one’s musical offerings significantly,” Repper said.
“It’s a remarkable opportunity to hear a piece that you likely haven’t heard live before – and is a perfect example of the Ashland Symphony wanting to share great work by a composer who hasn’t received her due.”
The concert will also feature Vivaldi’s famous “The Four Seasons,” alongside the tango-inspired music “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla. Repper will be conducting while playing the harpsichord. Grace Park will be performing alongside the ASO as a featured guest violinist.
“It’s such a treat to play alongside the great musicians of the Ashland Symphony! It is a concert not to be missed,” Repper said.
To learn more about Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy, click here. To secure your tickets for the upcoming shows, visit ASO’s website. While you’re there, check out more information about the music they are performing this season.
