Photo: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Musique. Author: Adam, Jakob (1748-1811). Graveur Author : Kreutzinger, Josef (1757-1829). 0442 · Public domain · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Vicente Martín y Soler
Person · male · Spain · Valencia · born 1754 · died 1806 · recording since 1991
Spanish composer (1754–1806)
Also known as Vicent Martín i Soler · Vicente Martín i Soler · 比森特·马丁-索勒
Timeline
7 events▣ Album 4◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1750s
1800s
1990s
· Debut release
Debut release: Una cosa rara
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2000s
Biography
English biography748 words · 2 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1331810695
Biography
Anastasio Martín Ignacio Vicente Tadeo Francisco Pellegrin Martín y Soler (2 May 1754 – 30 January or 10 February 1806) was a Spanish composer of opera and ballet. Although relatively obscure now, in his own day he was compared favorably with his contemporary and admirer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as a composer of opera buffa. In his time he was called "Martini lo spagnuolo" ("Martini the Spaniard"); in modern times, he has been called "the Valencian Mozart". He was known primarily for his melodious Italian comic operas and his work with Lorenzo Da Ponte in the late 18th century, as well as the melody from Una cosa rara quoted in the dining scene of Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Biography
Martín y Soler was born in Valencia. His father, Francisco Xavier Martín, was a tenor at the cathedral in town, where Vicente was a chorister in his youth. Vicente moved to Madrid probably around 1775, and studied music in Bologna under Giovanni Battista Martini. His first opera was Il tutore burlato (1775), to an Italian libretto adapted from Giovanni Paisiello's La frascatana, which in turn was based on a play of the same title by Filippo Livigni. This was premiered in 1775 at the Teatro Real Coliseo in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, north of Madrid. In 1776 or 1777 the composer had the libretto translated into Spanish and put it into zarzuela form, adding spoken dialogue, as La madrileña, o El tutor burlado. This was performed in Madrid during 1778, by which time Martín y Soler was back in Italy.
After 1776, he wrote Italian operas, both comic and serious, which were performed throughout Italy. In 1777, he travelled to Naples, where he composed for the Teatro di San Carlo. During this period, he worked with choreographer Charles le Picq to compose four ballets d’action: La Griselda (1779, derived from the libretto by Apostolo Zeno), Il ratto delle Sabine (1780), La bella Arsene (1781), and Tamas Kouli-Kan (1781, an interpretation of Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi's libretto). He also worked with Zeno on an opera seria, Andromaca, in 1780. In addition, he composed two mezzocarattere ballets, La sposa persiana (1778) and Il barbiere di Siviglia (1781, based on the play by Pierre Beaumarchais). In Naples, he also worked with court librettist Luigi Serio on the composition of opere serie, producing Ifigenia (1779) and Ipermestra (1780). Around 1780, he was also appointed court composer for Charles IV of Spain.
In 1785 he moved to Vienna, where he enjoyed great success with three operas composed to texts by Lorenzo Da Ponte, who was simultaneously collaborating with Mozart and Antonio Salieri, the rival of the former. These three comedies were Una cosa rara (1786, based on the play La luna de la sierra by Luis Vélez de Guevara); Il burbero di buon cuore (1786, based on Carlo Goldoni's French-language play Le bourru bienfaisant); and L'arbore di Diana (1787). He is credited with introducing, in Una cosa rara, the waltz to Vienna; and a melody from the same work is quoted by Mozart in the banquet scene in Act 2 of Don Giovanni (1787). Soon, Martín y Soler was also composing highly successful operas for Joseph II's imperial theater.
In 1788, Martín y Soler was invited to serve as composer and singing instructor at Catherine's Russian court at St. Petersburg, where he wrote three Russian-language operas, The Unfortunate Hero Kosmetovich (1789, libretto written in part by Catherine the Great), Melomania (1790), and Fedul and his Children (1791, with Vasili Pashkevich). Moving to London for the 1795 season, he provided three more Italian language operas: La capricciosa corretta (libretto again by Lorenzo Da Ponte, partly adapted from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew); L'isola del piacere and Le nozze de' contadini spagnuoli.
He returned to St. Petersburg and was appointed maestro di capella at the Smolny Institute (then called the Educational Society of Noble Maidens) in 1796. After returning to St Petersburg, he wrote his last opera, La festa del villaggio (1798).
He also wrote a number of tragic ballets during his residence as Court Composer there, including Didon abandonée (1792), Amour et Psyché (1793, based on Psyché by Molière, Corneille and Philippe Quinault), Tancrède (1799) and Le retour de Poliorcète (1799). Shortly before his 1806 death in Saint Petersburg, he served as inspector for the Italian opera there. He was still in his post when he died. His grave is located next to the St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery, alongside those of composers such as Tchaikovsky and Glinka.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 21 | 82.6th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 4 | 78.1th |
| Studio albums | 4 | 82.8th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 7 | 82.6th |
| Recording span (years) | -185 | 3.6th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (4 release groups · 4 studio albums)
Albums · 4
1991 · studio album
1994 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 40 tracks · 1:34:57
Disc 11Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Sinfonia3:482Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Introduzione "Con dieci ore" (Cavaliere e Anselmo)1:273Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Recitativo "Ma per pietà"2:464Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Aria "All'Idol mio dirai" (Cavaliere)4:315Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Aria "Ragazzine semplicine" (Violante)1:516Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Recitativo "Viva la libertà"0:227Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Aria "La prima volta" (Pippo)0:578Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Recitativo "Evviva, e grazioso mi pare"2:089Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Aria "Per pieta ti do la mano" (Violante)4:5110Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Recitativo "Io resto stupefatto"1:5511Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Aria "Con certo sior abate" (Menica)3:0412Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Recitativo "Oh, che briccona"2:0913Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Aria "Mettiti qua così" (Pippo)3:0214Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Recitativo "Ah donna finta"1:1115Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Finale primo "Traditrice" (Violante, Pippo, Fabrizio)4:4216Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Finale primo "Oh quanto gusto" (Cavaliere, Pippo)1:2617Il tutore burlato: Atto I. Finale Primo "Dove mai, che pena oh Dio" (Violante, Cavaliere, Menica, Pippo, Fabrizio)3:46Disc 21Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Recitativo "Or si che son sicura"4:532Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Aria "Me lo dicea mia nonna" (Anselmo)1:313Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Recitativo "Non troverò mai pace"0:304Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Aria "Non so se la speranza" (Cavaliere)4:335Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Recitativo "Dove mi conducete"1:036Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Aria "Entrate, via presto" (Fabricio)2:147Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Recitativo "Creperai tu, imbroglione"1:368Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Recitativo accompagnato "Cospettonaccio" (Pippo)3:469Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Aria "Dove si trova mai" (Pippo)3:3110Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Recitativo "Vieni, vien sguaiataccia"0:5911Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Aria "S'io tutti due li guardo" (Menica)3:1112Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Recitativo "Ah, Pippo mio"0:2213Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Aria "Mi trovo, che faccio" (Violante)1:4514Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Quintetto "Ecco aperto" (Violante, Cavaliere, Menica, Pippo, Fabrizio)5:3615Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Seguidilla "Inocentita y niña" (Violante)1:5716Il tutore burlato: Atto II. Finale secondo "Oh vituperio" (Violante, Cavaliere, Menica, Pippo, Fabrizio)2:3117Il tutore burlato: Atto III. Rectitativo "Misera dove sono?"0:3018Il tutore burlato: Atto III. Recitativo accompagnato "Ne veggo, o Numi" (Violante)2:0319Il tutore burlato: Atto III. Aria "Donce sonno" (Violante)1:5120Il tutore burlato: Atto III. Recitativo "Violante oh me meschino"1:2021Il tutore burlato: Atto III. Duetto "Ecco la destra" (Violante e Pippo)2:2822Il tutore burlato: Atto III. Recitativo "Parmi di sentir gente"0:5023Il tutore burlato: Atto III. Finale terzo "Sposo e sposa" (Violante, Cavaliere, Menica, Pippo, Fabrizio, Anselmo)2:012004 · studio album
2009 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 53 tracks · 2:22:55
Disc 11L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. Ouverture3:582L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Zitto zitto non parlate" (Cloe, Britomarte, Clizia)2:253L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Dove diavolo son?" (Doristo)6:034L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Tranquilli soggiorni" (Diana)2:425L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Ecco, amiche compagne, il garzoncello" (Diana)2:086L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Da parte gli scherzi" (Doristo)2:117L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "L’ardir di questo pazzo" (Diana)1:158L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Dove vado … dove fuggo" (Endimione)3:439L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Orsù signori miei" (Amore)1:5810L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Un galantuom son io" (Doristo)1:1011L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Cos’è?" (Amore)0:5512L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Lieti e amorosi i rai" (Endimione)2:2313L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Che sia stata la dea?" (Doristo)1:5314L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Qualche diavol qui s’asconde" (Endimione)1:3615L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Il garzon che Diana" (Britomarte)2:3216L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Di Cintia seguace" (Britomarte)2:3117L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Ragazze, vien la dea" (Amore)4:1418L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Si dice qua e là" (Amore)2:1619L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Troppo ti ho già sofferto" (Diana)1:2320L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Che sorpresa è questa mai" (Diana)3:1321L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Perfidi!" (Diana)0:5422L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Sento che dea son io" (Diana)6:1223L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Via, non tremate" (Amore)2:2524L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Or bene: chi di voi" (Amore)3:1525L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "Occhietto furbetto" (Amore)2:3726L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "S’io non avessi visto" (Doristo)0:5227L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "O saggio giovinetto" (Chorus)6:2228L'arbore di Diana: Act 1. "O Dio! Mancar mi sento" (Endimione, All)5:36Disc 21L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Or che ho sciolto i lacci vostri" (Britomarte)2:332L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Anche per questa volta" (Endimione)1:503L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Pietà, pietà di noi" (Endimione)3:124L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Ite affetti importuni" (Diana)2:175L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Ah quante volte mai" (Endimione)2:056L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Numi, che nuova è questa" (Diana)0:467L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Come farò?" (Clizia)1:548L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Fermate, olà fermate" (Diana)2:099L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Da un nume ignoto" (Cloe)1:1410L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Lo stesso a me successe" (Clizia)1:1011L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Ah presto fuggiamo" (Endimione)2:1512L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Serva di lor signori" (Amore)3:0713L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Se un’occhiatina tenera" (Doristo)2:4814L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Ma per un bacio" (Doristo)1:5015L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Cessate di spargere" (Amore)1:4116L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Ah chi turbare ardisce" (Diana)3:1417L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Pianin pianino lo chiamerò" (Diana)7:2218L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Vi voglio far veder" (Amore)1:5119L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Non ti lascio, o traditore" (Clizia)0:4920L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Orsù, sbrigati" (Cloe)4:4621L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Teco porta, o mia speranza" (Diana)5:0622L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Dal solitario asilo" (Silvio)1:3423L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Fra quest’ombre taciturne" (Diana)5:1424L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Di temer cessate" (Amore)1:3325L'arbore di Diana: Act 2. "Vieni, vieni, o bella dea" (All)1:53
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Vicente Martín y Soler head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 21 | 82.6th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 4 | 78.1th |
| Studio albums | 4 | 82.8th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 7 | 82.6th |
| Recording span (years) | -185 | 3.6th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_vicente_martin_soler.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/44ea080c-9785-455b-a5f1-e69d0cd6f267discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/44ea080c-9785-455b-a5f1-e69d0cd6f267core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377409genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377409seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicente_Mart%C3%ADn_y_Solerbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicente_Mart%C3%ADn_y_Soler
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Musique. Author: Adam, Jakob (1748-1811). Graveur Author : Kreutzinger, Josef (1757-1829). 0442 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q377409 · MusicBrainz: 44ea080c-9785-455b-a5f1-e69d0cd6f267
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