Maria Barthélemon: Child Prodigy
Maria Barthélemon: Child Prodigy and Composer
When looking through history we can see many composers throughout time. Most early composers were men but in the 1700s a shift was made and women started composing more music. There are many famous men and woman who composed music during the 1700s, I am going to focus on Maria Barthélemon. She was not only a composer but was a very successful singer and keyboard player throughout Ireland, London, France, and Italy. She has only a few surviving works accredited to her but they were very influential and showcase her talent.
Maria Barthélemon was born in 1749 as Mary “Polly” Young. She was born into a well-known English family. Her family was comprised of many generations of musicians. Her grandfather …show more content…
In 1776-1777 they toured Europe giving concerts in Germany, France, and Italy. They performed for the King of Naples and for Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France. The year 1776 also marked the year that Maria published her first piece of music. In 1784 careers for her family became less successful, work became hard to find. It is believed that they were disliked because they became arrogant. In the 1790s Joseph Hayden became close friends with the family. This helped them find work again, such as performing in her husband’s concert with Hayden. Maria published more works between 1790 and 1795. She died in London on September 20th, …show more content…
It is believed there were more but as was customary of the time, they were performed and distributed privately. Her first composition was published in 1776, Six Sonatas for the Harpsichord or Piano Forte with an accompaniment for Violin, Op.1. Although she did not primarily play the keyboard, it was normal as a European musician in the 18th century to release a set of two sonatas. This was done when seeking or affirming a professional status as a composer or teacher. She dedicated her first work to “Her Majesty, the Queen”, who was an accomplished keyboardist. The Six Sonatas, where published by William Napier in London. The seemed to have some success because around 1790 they were printed again by E. Riley at his “Music Warehouse No. 8 Strand.” This piece was a typical sonata, meaning the keyboard could stand alone while the violin could not. The violin was used to double the upper or lower octaves of the keyboard. The original edition of this piece was published as a score. This was done so that the violinist read the music over the pianists shoulder. It was also normal at the time for this piece to be performed by a man and a woman. Men usually played strings, while women usually played the
When looking through history we can see many composers throughout time. Most early composers were men but in the 1700s a shift was made and women started composing more music. There are many famous men and woman who composed music during the 1700s, I am going to focus on Maria Barthélemon. She was not only a composer but was a very successful singer and keyboard player throughout Ireland, London, France, and Italy. She has only a few surviving works accredited to her but they were very influential and showcase her talent.
Maria Barthélemon was born in 1749 as Mary “Polly” Young. She was born into a well-known English family. Her family was comprised of many generations of musicians. Her grandfather …show more content…
In 1776-1777 they toured Europe giving concerts in Germany, France, and Italy. They performed for the King of Naples and for Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France. The year 1776 also marked the year that Maria published her first piece of music. In 1784 careers for her family became less successful, work became hard to find. It is believed that they were disliked because they became arrogant. In the 1790s Joseph Hayden became close friends with the family. This helped them find work again, such as performing in her husband’s concert with Hayden. Maria published more works between 1790 and 1795. She died in London on September 20th, …show more content…
It is believed there were more but as was customary of the time, they were performed and distributed privately. Her first composition was published in 1776, Six Sonatas for the Harpsichord or Piano Forte with an accompaniment for Violin, Op.1. Although she did not primarily play the keyboard, it was normal as a European musician in the 18th century to release a set of two sonatas. This was done when seeking or affirming a professional status as a composer or teacher. She dedicated her first work to “Her Majesty, the Queen”, who was an accomplished keyboardist. The Six Sonatas, where published by William Napier in London. The seemed to have some success because around 1790 they were printed again by E. Riley at his “Music Warehouse No. 8 Strand.” This piece was a typical sonata, meaning the keyboard could stand alone while the violin could not. The violin was used to double the upper or lower octaves of the keyboard. The original edition of this piece was published as a score. This was done so that the violinist read the music over the pianists shoulder. It was also normal at the time for this piece to be performed by a man and a woman. Men usually played strings, while women usually played the