Patronage Pays

Patronage in the Mid to late 1700s 

During W.A. Mozart’s time, patronage was the most common form of income for musician. The basic idea being that a musician worked—as servants— for commission and produced songs which met the standards of their bosses. Unlike many composers of his time, Mozart had much more freedom and popularity which made him, as he would feel, above a servant. Not as many during that musical period had the advantage. Haydn at age “29 he went to work for Prince Paul Esterhazy, who died and was succeeded in 1762 by his brother Nikolaus, a passionate music lover. 

Below is a painting  of Haydn by Thomas Hardy.  

Below is a painting of Haydn conducting a string quartet. 

Haydn spent nearly 30 years presiding over the musical activities at the prince’s palace 30 miles outside Vienna, as well as at the summer residence over the border in Hungary” (Tommasini). Often, however, the workload could be immense. Though perfect for Haydn, the time consumption and demands of he tenure could be outrageous. A steady job was perhaps the only benefit of such a workload but “nevertheless, the heavy workload of nearly 3 decades was taking it's toll, especially after the death of princess Maria Elizabeth Nikolaus”(Stapert). He did have the ability for much creativity, whereas others may not have had. That is to say, music lovers, such as Nikolaus, allowed for his compositions to be more bold and impressive. Because of the workload and often times restrictions placed upon composers, those who could survive without patronage did. This being shown as Haydn's "feeling of a insulation was growing stronger. He express[es] that feeling with uncommon openness in letters to Maria Anna Von Genzinger, …[where] so much of the year, opportunities to visit the Genzinger home we're limited…and [he] complain[s] about his unremitting work schedule”(Stapert) Thus, Vienna, where Mozart later lived a worked, became hot spot for musical creativity. By the 1820s, patronage faded away in to the past and musician were no longer servants as they once were. Now they were free to be freelance artists and becoming much more of what we think of musicians and composers as today.

Patronage in Modern Times

When you think of the word “Patronage,” you usually think of an organization that provides support for the arts in the form of money. What patronage is, “the support of encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another.” Meaning, patronage can come in any form that is some kind of support for whoever they are sponsoring. Patronage back in the days of Mozart has changed. This essay will highlight these differences to bring into light the obstacles that Mozart had. 

The word “patronage” is not really used commonly now days. Most people know the word, but it is hardly ever used in modern conversations. “Sponsorship,” is what can be called the disguise of patronage. Sponsorship is similar, but just more of a common term for it. Sponsors are “a people or organizations that provide funds for a project or activity carried out by another, in particular, or a person who introduces and supports a proposal for legislation.” Sponsorships do not only apply to money, but can also be items. In terms of music and musical groups, sponsors will donate the instruments and sorts in exchange for advertisement. Sponsors now days are just looking for a way to bring more income in, so the authentic feeling of supporting whatever cause is not there. The arts and sports for example. Sponsors will look for the most promising individual or group and will put in money to help them, but those individuals or groups will have to at one point in any public event, mention their sponsors.

In Mozart’s time, patronage was often the primary fuel for professional artists. There simply was, it was believed, not enough money to be made as a freelancer. Certainly, this seemed the most true for sculptors and painters and playwrights, but for musicians as well, whose work was commonly used strictly as background entertainment for parties and gatherings, patronage was perceived with good reason to be the only way for artists and their families to survive. This contrasts with the position of contemporary artists, who are almost entirely freelancers. A handful may commonly deal with museums, making the museums modern patrons, but most deal their art directly with consumers. This is entirely true for musicians. Because live shows are so much more entertaining and bring in significantly greater profits than recorded tracks, musicians often travel to perform for large audiences across the world, as opposed to being “insulated” with an exclusive, “unremitting work schedule.”

However, as a result of musicians being unlikely to settle down while actively performing music, patrons have turned to sponsors. Where patrons were restrictive in where their subjects could perform, sponsors often don’t assume any freedoms from those they sponsor. Patrons were usually wealthy aristocrats, dukes, and princes, whereas sponsors are often businesses and corporations. The shift has gone from individual benefactors who offer their patronage to support the advancement of the arts to large businesses whose contributions are strategically aimed to broaden their brand recognition and encourage future profit. The transition from patronage to sponsorship has reformed the art industries, but it has brought with it a profit-oriented mindset akin to the rise of individualism and capitalism.

Sources

Gay, Peter. Mozart. New York: Lipper/Viking Book, 1999.

Hardy, Thomas. Portrait of Joseph Haydn. 1791. Royal College of Music, London.

Anonymous. Joseph Haydn Playing Quartets. Pre 1790. Vienna Museum, Austria.

Stapert, Calvin. Playing before the Lord: The Life and Work of Joseph Haydn. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2014.

Tommasini, Anthony. "The Big 4 Of Vienna: One Faces Elimination." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.

Credits

Jonna

• Proofreading 
• Build Blog 

Chase

• Bibliography
• Then 

Kailee

• Now
• Intro

Darek

• Compare and Contrast 
• Conclusion