4 ms·
The great musicians of 5he 19th century and earlier didn't make a living selling recordings and concerts. The price that would get butts in seats wasn't enough
by hannasanarion 8y ago
The great musicians of 5he 19th century and earlier didn't make a living selling recordings and concerts. The price that would get butts in seats wasn't enough to cover the cost of living for all the performers, the composers, and the house.
Back then, musicians fed themselves using a system of funds that has popped back up again now that selling records isn't economically realistic anymore: patronage.
Back then, musicians were patronized by monarchs, feudal lords, aristocrats, churches and schools. Nowadays it's media conglomerates, bourgeois philanthropists, and patreon users.
- JackFr 8y ago> The great musicians of 5he 19th century and earlier didn't make a living selling recordings and concerts. Actually they did, certainly in the 19th century which was the era of the concert hall. Without recording technology, music had to be performed to be enjoyed. The market for live performances was much, much bigger. Because the market lacked the 'winner-take-all' aspect of today, the opportunity to make a living wage as a musician was easier than today.
- hannasanarion 8y agoIt's not a matter of whether musicians get paid, it's where the money comes from. Even in the golden age of concert halls, ticket sales barely paid the rent. Orchestras and composers were reliant on donors and patrons. Even Beethoven, superstar of his time, couldn't make a living on his own, he was reliant on Archduke Rudolph, Prince Kinsky, and Prince Lezkowitz to keep food on his table.