Quarter notes and bank notes : the economics of music composition in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
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Bibliographic Information
Quarter notes and bank notes : the economics of music composition in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
（The Princeton economic history of the Western world）
Princeton University Press, c2004
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [249]-258) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
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 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 Chapter One Introduction 1 Chapter Two The Political, Social, and Economic Milieu 14 Chapter Three Music Composition as a Profession 53 Chapter Four Composers' Backgrounds, Aspirations, and Economic Rewards 79 Chapter Five The Geography of Composer Supply and Demand 117 Chapter Six Changes in Transportation and Composers' Mobility 142 Chapter Seven The Economics of Music Publishing 155 Chapter Eight Conclusion 197 Appendix to Chapter One A Currency Conversion Matrix 203 Appendix to Chapter Four Consumption Outlays of Robert and Clara Schumann, 1841 210 Notes 215 References 249 Index 259
by "Nielsen BookData"