Quarter Notes and Bank Notes : The Economics of Music Composition in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries / F. M. Scherer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Scherer, F. M., author.

Series:

The Princeton Economic History of the Western World ; 13

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Composers--Economic conditions--19th century.

Composers.

Composers--Economic conditions--18th century.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 264 p. :) ill. ;

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

In English.

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 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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

FIGURES AND TABLES

FOREWORD

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION

Chapter 2. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC MILIEU

Chapter 3. MUSIC COMPOSITION AS A PROFESSION

Chapter 4. COMPOSERS' BACKGROUNDS, ASPIRATIONS, AND ECONOMIC REWARDS

Chapter 5. THE GEOGRAPHY OF COMPOSER SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Chapter 6. CHANGES IN TRANSPORTATION AND COMPOSERS' MOBILITY

Chapter 7. THE ECONOMICS OF MUSIC PUBLISHING

Chapter 8. CONCLUSION

Appendix to Chapter 1 A CURRENCY CONVERSION MATRIX

Appendix to Chapter 4 CONSUMPTION OUTLAYS OF ROBERT AND CLARA SCHUMANN, 1841

NOTES

REFERENCES

INDEX

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. [249]-258) and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

ISBN:

9780691188096

0691188092

OCLC:

1036828716