Det privilegerte stadsmusikantvesenet i Norge

Abstract

The task of the privileged town- musician office was to organize the towns secular music scene after the model of the handicraft guilds. The town musician institution was functioning in large parts of Europe. The system spread north and was introduced in Norwegian cities from the beginning of the 1600s, but under more arid conditions.

This article is based largely on studies of the town musician office in Bergen, Trondheim and Kristiansand. The study also provides the basis for discussions of town musicians as performers, composers, and educators, and their fight against competitive players.