Giovanni Battista Martini

Giovanni Battista Martini

Painting: Angelo Carescimbeni

Source: Museo Musica Bologna

Born on 24 April 1706 in Bologna, Giovanni Battista (Giambattista) Martini (aka Padre Martini) was no relation to the younger Bavarian who spent his career in France, Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (1741-1816). This Martini is a minor composer as well, albeit highly-regarded at his time, who wrote both sacred and secular music, arriving when both baroque and opera were already above a century old. Baroque was to shift into galant and classical during Martini's lifetime. He knew Leopold Mozart, father of the apex of classical, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Be as may, as a music teacher Martini would emphasize the declining Roman school. Martini's own father was a violinist who taught him the instrument. He later studied voice, harpsichord and counterpoint.

Martini donned the Franciscan habit in 1722 before becoming master of the chapel at the Basilica of San Francesco in Bologna in 1725. It seems that no one has endeavored to publish a complete verseichnis of Martini's works. Dates for most are unknown excepting several intermezzi, oratori and published opuses. His intermezzo, 'Azione Teatrale', arrived in 1726. His Opus 1 (first published work) is assigned to 'Lithaniae anitque antiphonae finales B. Virginis Mariae' of 1734 which translates to 'Final litanies and antiphons for Beatae (Blessed) Virgin Mary'. Martini's Op. 2 arrived in 1642 per '12 Sonate d'intavolatura per l'organo e il cembalo' (intavolatura = tablature). His Op. 3 is '6 Sonate per l’organo ed il cembalo' as of 1647.

Martini began his history of music, 'Storia della Musica', in 1657, a giant work of several volumes on which he proceeded until 1681, leaving it unfinished. This work pursued music from Biblical Adam through ancient Egypt and Greece up to Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor in the 9th century. In 1758 Martini began to teach at the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna. Come 'Duetti da camera' ('Chamber Duets') in 1763. 'Saggio di contrappunto' ('Essay on Counterpoint') arrived in two volumes in 1774-75.

Of sacred works below, the first is a Passion cantata (song) of unknown date. Martini's setting of 'Salve Regina' (Hail [Holy] Queen') is from his Op 1 (above) published in 1734. The 'Salve Regina' is thought to have developed in its present form at the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny in the 12th century. For Latin text translated into English see LiveAbout and Wikipedia. Martini wrote 'Salve Regina' for two tenors and bass voice with organ continuo. His setting of 'Te Deum' in D major is one of two that he wrote, this one arriving in 1740 [All Music]. 'Te Deum laudamus' ('Thee, O God, we praise') is of uncertain authorship probably sometime in the 4th century. Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine or Saint Hilary of Poitiers have been considered possible authors. English translation of its Latin text at Wikipedia.

Secular works below include two concerti and a sonata (instrumental) which dates are unidentified. The 'Pieno per organo 11' in andantino tempo is one of 26 listed at Presto, most in andante. 'Pieno per organo' meaning 'Full for organ' refers to full stops (aka voices or registers). The expression "Pull out all the stops" refers to pulling all the stop knobs on a pipe organ so that it produces full harmony or power. Stops are mechanisms which modify sound on pipe organs according to pipe lengths within pipe ranks within pipe divisions with the eight foot pipe foundational (: a four foot pipe delivers a higher pitch). As the construction and operation of pipe organs is specialized knowledge which becomes technical real fast, such are beyond the scope of this writing. References for pipe organ stops are provided below for who would pursue it.

Martini died in Bologna on 3 August 1784. Other of his works include 26 Magnificats, numerous masses and Mass-related settings, 54 responsories and 198 Psalms.

Sources & References for Giovanni Battista Martini:

New World Encyclopedia

James Reel (All Music)

Treccani

VF History (notes)

Chris Whent (Here of a Sunday Morning)

Wikipedia English

Academies:

Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna (founded 1666):

Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna   Wikipedia English

Audio of Martini:

Classical Archives   Naxos   Presto

Compositions / Works: Corpus:

Haendel   Mozart Circle   Musique Classique   Wikipedia Italiano

Recordings of Martini: Catalogs:

DAHR (shellac)   Discogs   Music Brainz   RYM

Scores / Sheet Music / Corpus:

Abe Books (vendor)

CPDL (choral works)

IMSLP (digital copies)

Internet Archive (digital copies)

MuseScore

Musicalics (vendor)

MusOpen

Open Library (digital copies)

Paolo Pandolfo

ScorSer

Sheet Music Plus (vendor)

Scores / Sheet Music / Salve Regina in D minor:

CPDL   IMSLP   Internet Archive

Further Reading: Pantheon

Authority Search: BNF Data   VIAF

Other Profiles: Encyclopedia   Prezi

Sources & References for Pipe Organs:

American Guild of Organists (pipe organ guide)

Britannica (development of the pipe organ post 1800)