Paper short abstract:

The paper will analyse the impact of new trends related to cultural exchanges and the music market on the appearance of specialized music publishers, who promoted new musical repertoires for domestic use, disseminating both foreign and Portuguese composers, as well as the national genre of “modinha”

Paper long abstract:

The second half of the eighteenth century in Portugal witnessed a wealthy and extravagant aristocratic culture. One of the most enduring legacies of this privileged culture was the patronage of music. At the same time the rising middle class and the development of industry and commerce made possible the appearance of new markets for musical goods, including printed music.

Evidence is given that despite the development of printed music, handwritten music continued to be produced throughout the eighteenth century. But it is an undeniable fact, however, that printed music altered music dissemination. Whilst handwritten manuscripts were usually generated on demand for a limited, and exclusive, clientele printed music was distributed by local stores to attract buyers. The need to find buyers generated a new way of spreading printed music, both in Portugal and abroad. Marketing became necessary to promote new musical pieces and ensure revenue.

Music publishers therefore played a fundamental role, in this period, in promoting the dissemination of new repertoires of music, thus influencing musical taste and stimulating cultural exchanges in Europe. It is the purpose of this paper to contribute to a better understanding of music publishing in Portugal throughout the second half of the eighteenth century, analysing the published music, in terms of genre, musical instruments and composers and, also, identifying the most significant music publishing houses in Lisbon and Oporto.