Expert: David Froom - 5/11/2005

Question
Hi

Hope you can help me.

I am wondering how the idea of the ‘audience' for music changed between the 11th and 18th centuries and how these changes in audience would have affected the types of music composed and performed?

Thanks

David


Answer
Music always needs an audience.  Composers who are paid for their work need to be paid by someone, and composers who want an audience need to know who has the time and interest to listen to and perform their music.

The question really is about how society changed from the 11th to the 18th centuries.  Who had the money?  Who was in charge?  When did a middle-class emerge?  What was music used for (church? public events?).  And looking into the 20th century how did radio, then movies with sound, then recording change things -- even to the point of making it difficult to imagine a world before these things?

I think you will find that these questions will lead direcly to the answers you seek.  And the answers will be different for different cultures.

If I can help further, please let me know.

David Froom