The Patronage system is where wealthy patrons and establishments usually support a composer for exclusive entertainment. The positive traits of patrons are that they have a steady income, guaranteed work, lodging, and meals, musicians to play works, and an audience for the composer. The Patronage system has negative traits; the composer must please their patron. Which means the patron decides what the composer writes. Composers had a limited amount of musical freedom. If the composer did not please their patron, they would be punished. The punishment would be cleaning the horse stables. The great composer Bach was imprisoned for a month for not pleasing his patron. The Free Lance system is when the composer works for himself and can choose what music they want to compose. The positives of the free-lance system were freedom of choice in what they wanted to write. There were no punishments if they did not please their commissioner. Their music was more authentic when writing for themselves. The negatives of the free-lance system were no guaranteed work or steady income. Composers would have to take care of their lodgings and meals. They would also have to find musicians to play their music and promote it. Freelancing also caused composers to be financially responsible.
Amadeus Mozart used the patron system at the beginning of his career. His patron was the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. When he left Salzburg for Vienna, Mozart began to use the free-lance system. He also had a patron in Vienna—Emperor Joesph II of Austria. The free-lance system did not benefit Mozart financially. Mozart ended up in tremendous debt. Mozart did benefit from the free-lance system when it came to writing his music. More of his authentic pieces came from when he was in the free-lance system. The patronage system did benefit Mozart. The patronage system gave him stability financially. It also gave him work. Mozart is under the patronage of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg and comes to Vienna. Mozart sees an opportunity in Vieanna and handles it diplomatically. Unfortunately, his arrogance leads to several problems. Notice the Emperor’s limited ability to critique Mozart’s opera. Mozart and Constanze were desperate. They were constantly in debt and borrowing from friends. Rosenberg tried to forbid the opera based on the loose idea of ballet in “The Marriage of Figaro.” He also trained the chorus poorly in hopes of sabotaging the opera. Serenade for winds 9. The Abduction from the Seraglio and the Magic Flute. The Emperor Joesph II of Austria commissions Serenade for Winds. Actor Schikanader commissions The Magic Flute.