Page 125 - ESSENTIAL LISTENING TO MUSIC

The Enlightenment
The Classical era in music, art, and architecture coincides with the period in philosophy and letters known as the Enlightenment.During the Enlight- enment, also referred to as the Age of Reason, thinkers gave free rein to the pursuit of truth and the discovery of natural laws, formulated largely by Isaac Newton (1642–1727). Science now began to provide as many explanations for the mysteries of life as did religion. In many churches around Europe, the medi- eval stained glass depicting saintly stories was replaced by clear glass that let in natural light—a literal example of “enlightenment.” This is also the age of such scientific advances as the discovery of electricity and the invention of the steam engine. The first Encyclopedia Britannica (1771) was inspired by the French Encyclopédie (1751–1772), a twenty-four-volume set that aimed to replace me- dieval faith with modern, scientific reasoning. French encyclopedists Voltaire (1694–1778) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) espoused the principles of social justice, equality, religious tolerance, and freedom of speech. These En- lightenment ideals subsequently became fundamental to democratic govern- ment and were enshrined in the American Constitution.
Needless to say, the notion that all persons are created equal and should enjoy full political freedom put the thinkers of the Enlightenment on a collision course with the defenders of the existing social order, namely the Church and the aristocracy. Spurred on by economic self-interest and enlightened philoso- phy, an expanding, more confident middle class in France and America rebelled against the monarchy and its supporters. The American colonists issued a Decla- ration of Independence in 1776, and French citizens stormed the Bastille in 1789 to seize weapons, thereby precipitating a civil war among classes. By the end of the eighteenth century, the Age of Reason gave way to the Age of Revolution.
The Democratization of Classical Music and the Rise of “For Profit” Concerts
Music was not exempt from the social changes sweeping eighteenth-century Europe and America. In fact, the century witnessed something of a democratization of clas- sical music. The “audience base” for such music expanded greatly, extending now to the newly affluent middle class. In an earlier day, when art music was performed in only two venues (church and court), the average citizen heard very little of it. By mid-century, however, the bookkeeper, physician, cloth merchant, and stock trader collectively had enough disposable income to organize and patronize their own concerts. In Paris, then a city of 450,000 residents, one could attend, as proclaimed, “the best concerts every day with complete freedom.” The most successful Parisian concert series was the Concert spirituel (founded in 1725), at which the West’s first non-court orchestra played a regular schedule of performances. The Concert spiritu- el advertised its performances by means of flyers distributed in the streets. To make its offerings accessible to several strata of society, it instituted a two-tiered pricing
the democratization of classical music and the rise of “for profit” concerts 103 Copyright 201 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
56797_ch07_ptg01.indd 103 29/08/14 3:34 PM