The Careers of British Musicians, 17501850
Subtitle: A Profession of Artisans
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: October 8, 2001
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 246
ISBN-13: 9780521580953
Subjects: Classical music (c 1750 to c 1830); Composers & musicians; c 1700 to c 1800; c 1800 to c 1900; Music; Great Britain; Music/Songbooks; British Isles; General; Sociology - General; Music / General; Music--Great Britain--18th century--History and criticism; History & Criticism - General; 18th century; 19th century; History and criticism; Social aspects
First sentence: Like many other eighteenth-century professionals, musicians belonged to the large, socially and economically fluid group that historians term the "middling sort".
Description: "The study of the social context of music must consider the day-to-day experiences of its practitioners; their economic, social, professional, and artistic goals; and the material and cultural conditions under which these goals were pursued."

"This book traces the daily working life and aspirations of British musicians during the sweeping social and economic transformation of Britain from 1750 to 1850. It features working musicians of all types and at all levels - organists, singers, instrumentalists, teachers, composers, and entrepreneurs - and explores their educational background, their conditions of employment, their wages; the systems of patronage that supported them; and their individual perceptions. Deborah Rohr focuses not only on social and economic pressures but also on a range of negative cultural beliefs faced by the musicians. Also considered are the implications of such conditions for their social and professional status, and for their musical aspirations."--Jacket.