Sun Ra on Art Financed by Power
on Tuesday, December 31, 2013Sun Ra Money Quotation saying great artists sell their talent to the powerful to produce work worthy of that patronage. Sun Ra said:
“Bach and Beethoven … had to write something to please … those with money and power” — Sun Ra
In this quote, Sun Ra is making a commentary on the relationship between classical music composers and their patrons or financial backers throughout history. He implies that Bach and Beethoven, as artists dependent on wealthy sponsors for commissions and support, felt compelled to some degree to craft their music in a way that would “please” and appeal to the tastes and preferences of those who held the money and power – their aristocratic or church patrons.
Sun Ra is suggesting their creative works may have been shaped to some extent by the expectations and demands of their financial benefactors, rather than being fully independent expressions. His view questions the complete autonomy of these famous composers, given their reliance on elite patrons who influenced the musical culture of their eras.