ABSTRACT
The sudden increase in the phenomenon of concerts in London, Paris, and Vienna during the 1830s and 1840s amounted to a real cultural explosion. This chapter discusses their growth, their principal types, and the cultural divisions they manifested. Few cultural areas experienced so remarkable a history during the first half of the century. Concerts accordingly proved responsive to many social and cultural needs. The founders of the Viennese Society of the Friends of Music had that kind of organization in mind but quickly discovered that it was impossible in the highly fragmented and competitive cultural life of the Austrian capital. The technical development of instruments had made possible far greater performing skills and more dazzling new effects than even before, and the virtuosi used them to their full advantage. An enormous commercial establishment grew up around the virtuosi and their listeners to exploit the many fads which the new musical world generated.
