Title: Monteverdi’s ‘daily bread’: the economic life of a professional musician
Abstract: In 1627, describing the economic situation of a bass singer in Venice who was being considered for service in Mantua, Monteverdi articulated the main goal of any musician: ‘to enjoy the security of enough bread [pane sicuro] throughout his life’. This telling assessment translated into an economic portfolio that comprised fixed salaries, ecclesiastical benefices, occasional engagements and different forms of patronage. As an employee, first of a princely court and then of a state ecclesiastical institution, Monteverdi’s career offers a useful perspective on career strategies for a musician moving between three cities (Cremona, Mantua, Venice) that were geographically close and yet far apart in terms of their political and socio-economic contexts. Based on previous studies but also on unpublished documents, this article explores Monteverdi’s various socio-economic environments so as to explain the opportunities and the difficulties he faced during his career.
Publication Year: 2017
Publication Date: 2017-08-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 3
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