From: alves@calvin.usc.edu (William Alves)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: government and the arts
Date: 9 Apr 1992 12:15:39 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: calvin.usc.edu

In article <2038@transfer.stratus.com> jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com writes:
>
>The problem is that "government support" doesn't mean the same thing
>now as it did even 50 years ago, and certainly not what in meant
>in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Mozart's support (and Beethoven's,
>etc.) came from patrons (including governments) that chose to
>support him because they liked what he produced. These partrons
>had the right to tell Mozart what they wanted, to stop subsidizing
>him if he no longer produced what they liked, and so forth.
>
>Government support of the arts in the US is quite different. Some
>of the artists take the stance that nobody has the right to judge
>them based on whether they like them or not. If the patron (the
>government) objects to what they do, they scream "censorship" when
>it tries to stop support. 
>
No one is saying that grant-giving bodies don't have the right to
judge the quality of works. "Censorship" is cried when the government
begins to use criteria OTHER THAN quality to decide what work is 
funded. For example, when a work is not funded because it criticizes 
the government, advocates unpopular opinions, or includes sexual content
then some people cry "Censorship" and, I think, rightly so. Mozart had
to face similar censorship, true, but I don't think that makes it any
more right.

Meanwhile, Roger Lustig writes:

>I'm not so sure they are.  For one thing, many composers DO have jobs.
>For another, hardly any "serious" composers have EVER supported
>themselves by composing.  In the 19th century, I can think of one:
>Beethoven.  Chopin taught piano.  Mendelssohn was a conservatory
>director.  Berlioz conducted and wrote.  Brahms conducted and edited and
>performed.  Wagner got a government subsidy 8-) and conducted.
>...
>Before the 19thC, ALL musicians had other jobs than composing.  Look at
>Bach -- music director of an entire town.  Handel produced his own
>operas, and had a governmnet subsidy...  Haydn ran a court orchestra.
>Others had church or court jobs that involved much more than composing.
>
>The "potential Mozarts" have decided that they SHOULD be making their
>money by composing, as opposed to other forms of musical activity.  I
>find this disturbing.

I never did say that composers at other times supported themselves soley 
through the support of patrons, and I don't think composers today are
expecting that they should be. Most composers today conduct or teach
as well, but I think the difference between now and then is first of all
one of degree. Composers in earlier times derived a much greater propor-
tion of their income from composing. Sure Bach had to be an administrator
and performer and even teach Latin, but a large part of his job was com-
posing. He was paid to essentially write, rehearse, and perform cantatas
for weekly services. Imagine finding an analogous gig in the US now!

The university is not too bad as patrons go for many composers (that's
where I am), but it can sometimes attract and reward ivory tower attitudes.
I think too that even the non-composing part of a university job is more
time-consuming than Bach's administering, Brahms's editting, or Chopin's
teaching. Besides, there are probably plenty of excellent composers who
simply don't make (or don't want to be) good professors. Steve Reich once
said that he would sooner drive a cab again than teach at a university.

Having just done my taxes, this is probably more on my mind. I'm no Steve
Reich, and I'm grateful for my royalties, commissions, and so on, but that
income is just a drop in the bucket. I don't expect and I don't think most
composers expect the government to completely support them, but just the
chance now and then to write a piece and have it performed while not giving
up a decent hourly wage would be enough for me. I would GLADLY trade for
Bach's gig, or Handel's, or Brahms's...

Bill Alves
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical