The situation of even the greatest musicians (with a very few exceptions) was extremely difficult even long before capitalism. I recommend for example J.E. Gardiner’s excellent Bach biography “Music in the castle of heaven” (2013). Ironically the image of the artistic genius, free to create art for art’s sake is itself largely a product of 19th century romanticism and not unrelated to the cultural ambitions of an increasingly affluent bourgeoisie produced by a flourishing capitalist system.
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