Poster The Duchess Of Cambridge, arts patron
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is an example of a modern-day arts patron. In this photo, she and Grayson Perry visit Barlby Primary School in London. The Duchess of Cambridge visited the Clore Art Room at Barlby School to support the charity 'The Art Room,' of which she is patron.
John Alevroyiannis/WPA Pool/Getty Images

Learning to Listen: Arts Patrons

Learning to Listen: Arts Patrons

When we study history, we learn all sorts of facts and figures of wars and migrations of peoples, the changing boundaries of countries and territories, plagues and famines … but what really tells us about past civilization is just that — civilization; specifically, its culture: the art, music and everything that people made simply to tell us who they were and what mattered in their lives.

As far back as ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia or Egypt or Syria, artifacts remain that were put there by people who had someone else looking out for them so they could devote their time to making these things. Those people were arts patrons — they supported, encouraged, privileged, and most importantly, financially aided creative people so they could do what they do.

On this week's Learning to Listen, we'll take you through a survey of some of the greatest music created when a composer had a patron to pay the bills. We'll hear music by Haydn, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and others.

Program Playlist

Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 6 "Morning": Finale
Handel and Haydn Society
Harry Christophers, cond.

Richard Wagner
Die Meistersinger von Nurmberg: Dance; Finale
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Fritz Reiner, cond.

Peter Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 4: Andantino in modo de canzone (excerpt)
Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, cond.

Claude Debussy
Préludes, Book 1: La fille à cheveux de lin
Christopher Parkening, guitar

J.S. Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4: 1st Movement
Le Concert des Nations
La Capella Reial de Catalunya
Jordi Savall, cond.

Stephen Paulus
Pilgrim's Hymn
Dale Warland Singers
Dale Warland, dir.

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Trio No. 7 "Archduke": 4th Movement
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
Soovin Kim, violin
David Soyer, cello

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