Monn, Matthias Georg (EN)

Monn Matthias Georg, actually Johann Georg Mann, *9 April 1717 Vienna, †3 October 1750 Vienna, Austrian composer and organist. Little information has survived about the life of Matthias Georg Monn. In 1731–32, he was a descantist in the choir in Klosterneuburg near Vienna, in 1738 or later, he became organist at St. Charles Church in Vienna. He probably worked as a pedagogue, was a friend, and perhaps also a teacher of J.G. Albrechtsberger.

Monn was a leading figure, alongside G.Ch. Wagenseil, of the early classical Viennese school, a generation of young, progressive composers who dominated the musical life of Vienna during the time of Empress Maria Theresa. He went down in music history mainly as the creator of instrumental works, especially three-movement symphonies. Several of them are preceded by a slow introduction, showing a connection between the French overture and the sonata da chiesa. Within the small first movements, Monn used a developed sonata form with distinct themes (the second theme in a different key, usually in piano dynamics). The roots of Monn’s symphonic style lie in the Neapolitan sinfonia, cultivated in Vienna by A. Caldara and F. Conti. Compared to his predecessors, he expanded the development, and introduced reprises in the basic key, sometimes full and faithful, sometimes incomplete. In the final movements (sometimes of a dance character), constructed analogously to the first movements, the sonata form is simpler, without secondary themes and a coda. The Symphony in D major from 1740 for 2 flutes, 2 horns, bassoon and string trio, commonly quoted in musicological literature, is the first known 4-movement symphony, with a minuet (without a trio). It remained the only one of its kind in Monn’s output, and it did not influence other composers (the development of the 4-movement symphony is generally attributed to J. Stamic), as it is more strongly linked to Baroque music than Monn’s other orchestral compositions, especially with the suite (the ritornello form in the first movement, the aria as the second movement, fugue-like outer movements, a common key for all movements, a trio texture, concertante wind instruments), which may also explain the introduction of the minuet.

Matthias Georg Monn was one of the first creators of the solo concerto in Austria, who wove classical elements into it. His 3-movement concertos are set in the tradition of G. Tartini (with a still noticeable influence of Vivaldi). Monn combined the ritornello structure of the first movement with the classical balance of the structure – the developed first ritornello becomes the theme and basis of the sonata form. Cello Concerto deserves special attention, surpassing the earlier concertos for this instrument in its richness of motifs, the development of solo parts, and the full use of the technical and expressive possibilities of the cello.

In contrast to the orchestral pieces, Monn’s chamber and solo music belongs rather to the late Baroque period; the 2-part structure of the string quartets (slow-fast fugue) refers to the French overture; the fugu-like French overtures are also preceded by the Divertimento for 2 violas and basso continuo and the partitas, consisting of 4 parts of various character and structure (dance, non-dance, in sonata form and others), always with a minuet.

The harpsichord sonatas, consisting of 1–7 movements (usually in two parts, repeated), are similar to the works of D. Scarlatti. Some of them, due to their dance character, can be considered suites (F minor, No. 50 according to W. Fischer’s catalogue, consists of allemande, courante, presto gigue, menuetto), others are completely devoid of dance elements, the largest group is made up of “mixed” sonatas. In the Sonata in D major (No. 53), of which individual movements have French programmatic titles, the galant style is strongly manifested. Sometimes Monn sought to integrate the cycle through motific affinity between the movements. Despite using elements of sonata form, these pieces are close to Baroque music in shaping the sound material, but they indicate a sense of keyboard texture (e.g. Alberti’s bass). Vocal-instrumental pieces maintained in the galant style have marginal significance in the history of music.

Monn’s work combines the musical traditions of the late Baroque with early Classical elements. His pieces, innovative in their formal concept (clear, periodic structure of the piece, thematic dualism), are still maintained in the Baroque tradition. They are often homogeneous in terms of material, the melody is developed through motivic weaving, they feature a trio texture, elements of concerto grosso, sonata da chiesa, etc. The composer’s predilection for counterpoint indicates inspiration from the works of A. Caldara, and especially J.J. Fux, who had been working in Vienna somewhat earlier.

Monn’s rich and graceful melodic style with elements of the galant style, despite its conventionality resulting from the influence of Italian opera, is evidence of the composer’s great sensitivity. The themes, in many pieces still constructed from repeated, short motifs, in others have a clearly symmetrical, closed shape. The connecting sections, most often constructed sequentially, are dominated by a homogeneous semiquaver movement, scale motifs and broken chords. In keeping with the spirit of the era, Monn definitely preferred major keys up to 3 signs, especially D major, although he also wrote a symphony in B major and several sonatas in F minor and G sharp minor. With a general harmonic simplification, his pieces contain fragments of unconventional, expressive harmony (the expressive, recitative Larghetto from Symphony in D major No. 8 according to the Fischer’s catalogue).

Although none of Monn’s compositions were published during his lifetime, he had a strong influence on the development of the classical style in Austria, on the works of C. Ph. E. Bach and J. Haydn. It is impossible to reconstruct a complete list of his works; some have been lost, the preserved works have not yet been fully studied, and it is often difficult to distinguish the works of Matthias Georg Monn from Johann Christoph Monn. Matthias Georg Monn’s legacy interested A. Schönberg, who arranged the basso continuo and cadenza of the Cello Concerto, transcribed the Harpsichord Concerto in D major (from 1746) for a cello concerto and arranged the general bass part in several other works.

Literature: W. Fischer, introduction to “Denkmäler Tonkunst in Österreich” XIX/2, Vienna 1912 (includes a thematic catalogue of Monn’s instrumental works); E.L. Gerber Neues historisch-biographisches Lexikon der Tonkünstler, 4 volumes, Leipzig 1812–14; J. Sonnleithner Biographische Notizen über Georg Matthias Monn aus dem Munde seines Schülers G. Albrechtsberger, “Monatsbericht der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde” VI, 1830; H. Riemann Stamitz oder Monn?, “Blätter für Haus- und Kirchenmusik” XII, 1907/08; J. LaRue Major and Minor Mysteries of Identification in the 18th-Century Symphony, “Journal of the American Musicological Society” XIII, 1960; J.M. Barbour Pokorny Vindicated, “The Musical Quarterly” XLIX, 1963; K.E. Rudolf The Symphonies of Georg Mathias Monn (1717–1750), dissertation University of Washington, 1982 (includes an index of manuscripts of works by Johann Christoph and Matthias Georg Monn); C. Pollack Viennese Solo Keyboard Music, 1740–1770, dissertation Brandeis University, 1984 (includes a catalogues of keyboard works by Monn); B.C. MacIntyre The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, Ann Arbor 1986; Ch.H. Lemons The Keyboard Concertos of Georg Matthias Monn, dissertation Northwestern University, Ann Arbor 1991.