Quarter Notes and Bank Notes: The Economics of Music Composition in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

Author:   F. M. Scherer
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Volume:   13
ISBN:  

9780691116211


Pages:   280
Publication Date:   28 December 2003
Replaced By:   9780691155463
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Awaiting stock   Availability explained


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Quarter Notes and Bank Notes: The Economics of Music Composition in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries


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Overview

"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."

Full Product Details

Author:   F. M. Scherer
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Imprint:   Princeton University Press
Volume:   13
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.20cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.539kg
ISBN:  

9780691116211


ISBN 10:   0691116210
Pages:   280
Publication Date:   28 December 2003
Audience:   College/higher education ,  College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Replaced By:   9780691155463
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   Awaiting stock   Availability explained

Language:   English

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

Reviews

Scherer has broken new ground with his exciting interdisciplinary approach and use of massive quantitative and qualitative data--the scale of this achievement cannot be overstated. -- Siobhan McAndrew, Business History This new book by F.M. Scherer explores aspects of the music business in Western Europe during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and asks the question of how classical composers there made the transition from feudal to capitalist society... Scherer brings a much-needed sense of maturity and respectability to the study of music and commerce... Scherer's work on the economics of music publishing is especially informative... Anyone interested in the rise of market practices in Europe will enjoy [this book], especially if they like casual music. -- James P. Kraft, Enterprise & Society


Scherer has broken new ground with his exciting interdisciplinary approach and use of massive quantitative and qualitative data--the scale of this achievement cannot be overstated. -- Siobhan McAndrew Business History This new book by F.M. Scherer explores aspects of the music business in Western Europe during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and asks the question of how classical composers there made the transition from feudal to capitalist society... Scherer brings a much-needed sense of maturity and respectability to the study of music and commerce... Scherer's work on the economics of music publishing is especially informative... Anyone interested in the rise of market practices in Europe will enjoy [this book], especially if they like casual music. -- James P. Kraft Enterprise & Society


Author Information

F. M. Scherer is Aetna Professor Emeritus at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, and the author of many books.

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