Quarter Notes and Bank Notes

by Scherer, F. M.

• ISBN13: 9780691116211
• ISBN10: 0691116210
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-12-08
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

In 1700, most composers were employees of noble courts or the church. But by the nineteenth century, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Verdi, and many others functioned as freelance artists teaching, performing, and selling their compositions in the private marketplace. While some believe that Mozart's career marks a clean break between these two periods, this new book tells the story of a more complex and interesting transition. F. M. Scherer first examines the political, intellectual, and economic roots of the shift from patronage to a freelance market. He describes the eighteenth-century cultural "arms race" among noble courts, the spread of private concert halls and opera houses, the increasing attendance of middle-class music lovers, and the founding of conservatories. He analyzes changing trends in how composers acquired their skills and earned their living, examining such impacts as demographic developments and new modes of transportation. The book offers insight into the diversity of composers' economic aspirations, the strategies through which they pursued success, the burgeoning music publishing industry, and the emergence of copyright protection. Scherer concludes by drawing some parallels to the economic state of music composition in our own times. Written by a leading economist with an unusually broad knowledge of music, this fascinating account is directed toward individuals intrigued by the world of classical composers as well as those interested in economic history or the role of money in art.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables	vii
Foreword	ix
Introduction	1	(13)
The Political, Social, and Economic Milieu	14	(39)
Music Composition as a Profession	53	(26)
Composers' Backgrounds, Aspirations, and Economic Rewards	79	(38)
The Geography of Composer Supply and Demand	117	(25)
Changes in Transportation and Composers' Mobility	142	(13)
The Economics of Music Publishing	155	(42)
Conclusion	197	(6)
Appendix to Chapter One A Currency Conversion Matrix	203	(7)
Appendix to Chapter Four Consumption Outlays of Robert and Clara Schumann, 1841	210	(5)
Notes	215	(34)
References	249	(10)
Index	259