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Metastasio had been entrusted with the education of Marianne von
Martinez, the daughter of a Spanish gentleman who was Master of
the Ceremonies to the Apostolic Nuncio. The young lady required a
musicmaster, and the poet engaged Haydn to teach her the
harpsichord, in return for which service he was to receive free
board. Fraulein Martinez became something of a musical celebrity.
When she was only seventeen she had a mass performed at St
Michael's Church, Vienna. She was a favourite of the Empress
Maria Theresa, and is extolled by Burney--who speaks of her
"marvelous accuracy" in the writing of English--as a singer and a
player, almost as highly as Gluck's niece. Her name finds a place
in the biographies of Mozart, who, at her musical receptions,
used to take part with her in duets of her own composition.
Several of her manuscripts are still in the possession of the
Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. Something of her musical
distinction ought certainly to be attributed to Haydn, who gave
her daily lessons for three years, during which time he was
comfortably housed with the family.
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