The Politics of Patronage For Artists & Musicians Essay

Patronage was an essential element of the life of medieval artists and musicians. They depended heavily on their patrons, who supplied them with money, shelter, and food. Today, the concept of patronage seems to be outdated but, in a way, patronage still persists in the contemporary music and affects the development of music. Nevertheless, the role of patronage in the contemporary music has changed drastically compared to medieval music and so has done music itself as it transformed from a sheer art into a profitable business.

Historically, patronage was the broad concept applied to different fields of human life. The origin of this term dates back to the time of antiquity. In terms of music development, patronage became particularly significant in the medieval era and Renaissance because patrons granted musicians with money, shelter and excessive support and musicians, who were clients of patrons, relied entirely on their patrons (Simpson 112). At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the concept of patronage means the provision of material support and protection of people, usually called clients, by individuals, who have wealth and power, who are called patrons. The patronage in music involved the support and protection of musicians by their patrons, who were feudal in the Middle Ages and representatives of the upper-class of society in the Renaissance and later periods.

The patronage of the Middle Ages contributed to the development of music as musicians received the extensive support from the part of their patrons. Patrons, in their turn, supported musicians not only out of sheer enthusiasm or love to music, but also and mainly because they wanted to have their musicians at hand. The lack of other sources of entertainment and the traditional love of people to music encouraged rich people to support musicians. In response, musicians remained devoted to their patrons and did their best to create the best samples of music to entertain their patrons and their guests (Kilmer, Crocker, & Brown 187). In such a way, patronage was an integral part of the medieval culture and music developed on the ground of patronage. Otherwise, musicians could hardly survive without the assistance and support of their patrons.

The later epochs also involved patronage which progressed and evolved along with the music (Brown 198). The Renaissance and Enlightenment still had musicians highly dependent on their patrons, while the Classical period experienced the increased independence of the musicians due to the development of infrastructure and steady progress of the entertainment industry that provided musicians with wider opportunities to earn for living.

The 20th century marked the steep decline of patronage in music and this trend persists today, to the extent that people often believe that patronage has gone and this term refers to the distant past but not present (Kent, et al. 153). However, in actuality, patronage has survived but it has changed consistently in the 21st century. The contemporary patronage is not so obvious as it used to be hundreds of years ago, but musicians, especially young and prospective ones, receive support from different sources and such support is patronage. For example, there are government sponsored grants for musicians (Hoppin 115). The best musicians may gain those grants, if their performance is outstanding. Non-government organizations also support musicians and provide them with financial support as well as give them opportunities to play music. Thus, patronage has survived throughout a long time to the present moment, although the form of patronage has changed. Today, patronage is not as obvious as it used to be in the Middle Ages, for example, and musicians are not as dependent on patronage as they used to be in the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, the support of musicians known as patronage still exists.

Works Cited:

Brown, Cedric C. Patronage, Politics, and Literary traditions in England, 1558–1658,Detroit, Wayne State University Press, 1993.

Hoppin, Richard H. Medieval Music. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 2015.

Kent, F. W. et al., eds.,Patronage, Art, and Society in Renaissance Italy, Oxford University Press, 2012.

Kilmer, Crocker, Brown, Sounds from Silence, 1976, Bit Enki, Berkeley, Calif., LCC 76-16729.

Simpson, Jeffrey. Spoils of Power: the Politics of Patronage. Toronto: Collins, 2014. 

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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