Meshulam Korman / OPO / Ponchione-Bailey: Marianna Martines: The Complete Keyboard Works
Signum Classics

Numerous things recommend this encompassing set of keyboard works by Marianna Martines (1744–1812), but one in particular has nothing to do with the splendid performances by pianist Idith Meshulam Korman and the Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey-conducted Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra (OPO) and more the organization of the material. The double-CD release follows the four keyboard concertos on the first disc with three keyboard sonatas and a sinfonia on the second, and in doing so the listener enjoys four sparkling piano-and-orchestra works but then has an opportunity to appreciate the artistry of the pianist and OPO separately. Such a presentation makes for an extremely satisfying listen.

Of course, the release is important for many other reasons. First off, it presents the entirety of the surviving keyboard music Martines produced, and this attractive restorative project thus has value for giving this underappreciated composer her due. The attention Meshulam Korman and company give it is warranted, as the quality of Martines' work is evident throughout. One might understandably wonder after reaching the end of this almost two-hour collection, recorded during April 2024 at St Jude-on-the-Hill in London, why this composer's name isn't more familiar. The release has historical significance, then, but its engaging music, abundant in charm, lyricism, and melodic richness, speaks for itself.

The project aligns with Meshulam Korman's advocacy of both women composers and unjustly neglected composers, though she's also been a passionate promoter of contemporary composers too. In addition to Martines, the pianist has performed works by Florence Price, Fanny Mendelssohn, Ethel Smyth, Clara Schumann, and Germaine Tailleferre, among others. Of course the style of Martines' music is very much of its time, yet its immediate appeal enables it to transcend the moment of its creation. She was a celebrated singer, pianist, composer, educator, and salonnière in late eighteenth-century Vienna who also played duets on the piano-forte with Mozart at her semi-private, salon-like gatherings. Her talents as a composer were publicly recognized when she was elected to the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna in 1773, the first woman to be so honoured. Detailed liner notes by Judith Valerie Engel help fill in the historical blanks for a musical figure who should be better-known.

Of the thirty-one sonatas the composer is said to have created, three survived, two, the E major and A major, formally published and the third, the G major, surviving in manuscript form. Two-thirds of her keyboard concertos are considered lost, with the four included on the release surviving as autographs or copies. Whereas dates of composition are known for only two of the four concertos, the sonatas were written between 1762 and '69 and the Sinfonia in C major a year later. For a pianist of Meshulam Korman's calibre, there's much to embrace about Martines' music. The uptempo passages are filled with intricate patterns the performer must skilfully navigate, while the slower movements require a delicate touch, nuance, and elegance of expression.

Structurally, the concertos generally adhere to a fast-slow-fast design, which invites the listener to broach them as variations on a shared theme. Pianist and orchestra couple beautifully in the G major (1772), both parties enthusiastic in their execution. Rhythmic vitality and breeziness distinguish the opening “Allegro,” with Meshulam Korman dancing nimbly across the keyboard and the orchestra partnering responsively. A dignified “Adagio” follows with lustrous strings, woodwinds, and horns paving the way for the pianist's gracefully articulated trills, triplets, and chords. The patience and control demonstrated by the performers makes their authoritative presentation of the material all the more satisfying. Introduced by a harmonically enticing “Allegro con spirito” and sweetened with the serenading hush of the “Andante con moto” and a robust “Allegro assai,” the A major (date unknown) is as appealing. The C major (unknown) and E major (1766) winningly perpetuate the endearing character of the first two, the latter's central “Andante” entrancing in the extreme.

The tripartite design of the concertos extends to the sonatas too. Naturally in presenting her alone they grant the pianist a terrific stage for her artistry. The A major (ca. 1765) dazzles in the elegance, fluidity, and measured pacing of her delivery, the E major (ca. 1762) memorable for the prettiness of its gently radiant “Andante” and lilting flow of its “Allegro,” and the G major (ca. 1769) redolent with acrobatic trilling patterns and a gently rhapsodic “Andante.” While the ten-minute Sinfonia is a single-movement work, it likewise advances through three parts, with two spirited allegros bookending a serene andante. Needless to say, the orchestra shines in its sole piano-free performance. Meshulam Korman, Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey, and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra honour Martines with these sumptuous renderings. The pianist in particular merits praise for having brought this overlooked figure and her work back into the spotlight and showing why she's deserving of attention. It would be hard to imagine concertgoers not being entirely won over by this consistently charming music.

April 2026