--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before the 20th century, to be a…" description: "\"Before the 20th century, to be a successful musician was merely to be one who was employed. A few, such as Liszt, Paderewski and several singers, had p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/stephen-hough-6372_choice_before-the-20th-century-to-be-a-successf_326215.jpg" --- # Before the 20th century, to be a successful musician was… ![“Before the 20th century, to be a successful musician was merely to be one who was employed. A few, such as Liszt, Paderewski and several singers, had phenomenally lucrative careers, but they were rare - and Liszt gave all of his money away, travelling by choice in a third-class rail carriage.” quote by Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/stephen-hough-6372_choice_before-the-20th-century-to-be-a-successf_326215.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/stephen-hough-6372_choice_before-the-20th-century-to-be-a-successf_326215.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/stephen-hough-6372_choice_before-the-20th-century-to-be-a-successf_326215.jpg) > “Before the 20th century, to be a successful musician was merely to be one who was employed. A few, such as Liszt, Paderewski and several singers, had phenomenally lucrative careers, but they were rare - and Liszt gave all of his money away, travelling by choice in a third-class rail carriage.” [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success as a musician historically depended on stable employment rather than fame; only a few achieved great wealth, often using it for personal freedom. **In simple terms:** Musicians once needed jobs; few became rich and used money for travel. Key Takeaway Value stable work but pursue artistic freedom. Themes career wealth artistic freedom historical context Mood reflective inspirational thoughtful Type advice historical inspirational When to use this quote - concert planning - career counseling - financial planning for artists Key Concepts Economics of music patronage social status Questions to Reflect On - How can artists balance financial security with creative autonomy? - What modern structures support independent musicians? A Different Perspective Modern musicians can choose independence, but market pressures may limit options. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singers/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to do this so badly, to be a successful musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-5/i-wanted-to-do-this-so-badly-to-be-a-successful-musician/) [John 5](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-5/) > [When you're not successful as a musician, you are oftentimes unemployed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-forge/when-you-re-not-successful-as-a-musician-you-are-oftentimes-unemployed/) [Tobias Forge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-forge/) > [I realized that I don't like touring. I'll never complain about it because no one wants to hear about a relatively successful musician complain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-realized-that-i-don-t-like-touring-i-ll-never-complain-about-it/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [Growing up listening to rap music, you almost feel like you should have haters. That's an important part of being a successful musician. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-koenig/growing-up-listening-to-rap-music-you-almost-feel-like-you-should/) [Ezra Koenig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-koenig/) > [What costs the world to you as a working kid fresh out of college costs nothing to you as a successful musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/what-costs-the-world-to-you-as-a-working-kid-fresh-out-of-college/) [G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/) > [I think one of the reasons I'm successful as a musician is that the first like 30 shows I played, I played with no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grimes/i-think-one-of-the-reasons-i-m-successful-as-a-musician-is-that-the/) [Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grimes/) > [I used to believe that if I could do certain things - write a book or be a successful musician - that I'd be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/i-used-to-believe-that-if-i-could-do-certain-things-write-a-book-or/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [No, I've heard over the years that it's nice for them to see somebody who's like, you know, a well-known successful musician who's Asian.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-iha/no-i-ve-heard-over-the-years-that-it-s-nice-for-them-to-see-somebody/) [James Iha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-iha/) > [I realized, that the life of a musician, even of a very lucky, very successful musician, wasn't really the life I wanted: I hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-greenwell/i-realized-that-the-life-of-a-musician-even-of-a-very-lucky-very/) [Garth Greenwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-greenwell/) > [The fact I had my father as an adversary was such a powerful tool to work with. I subconsciously fought him to the degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/the-fact-i-had-my-father-as-an-adversary-was-such-a-powerful-tool-to/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I have a lot of successful musician pals, and as I get older, I find that I'm lucky to be a writer. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-have-a-lot-of-successful-musician-pals-and-as-i-get-older-i-find/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [You gotta pick yourself up. Sometimes you just gotta do it over and over, but you gotta do it. You can't give up. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-adler/you-gotta-pick-yourself-up-sometimes-you-just-gotta-do-it-over-and/) [Steven Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-adler/) > [ Obviously, \[Wham!\] made me a lot more comfortable as a musician. I was very confident that I would become a successful musician, but I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/obviously-wham-made-me-a-lot-more-comfortable-as-a-musician-i-was/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [On the rare occasions I go to the gym, I prefer silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-neuwirth/on-the-rare-occasions-i-go-to-the-gym-i-prefer-silence/) [Bebe Neuwirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-neuwirth/) > [It's very rare that you get that period of time to hang out with your best buddy and ride motorbikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-boorman/it-s-very-rare-that-you-get-that-period-of-time-to-hang-out-with-your/) [Charley Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-boorman/) ## More by Stephen Hough > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [Unlike sport, music is not about winning or keeping fit or promoting your town or school; it's about celebrating, to a level approaching ecstasy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/unlike-sport-music-is-not-about-winning-or-keeping-fit-or-promoting/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [In Britten or Berg, there's a tension between the sweet and the sour, between the familiar and the unfamiliar, the tonal and the atonal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/in-britten-or-berg-there-s-a-tension-between-the-sweet-and-the-sour/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [The things I do outside of playing the piano are done out of an inner necessity, not just because I want to try my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/the-things-i-do-outside-of-playing-the-piano-are-done-out-of-an-inner/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [There are artists who delight listeners with their wild and daring individuality; there are others who uncover the written score with reverence. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/there-are-artists-who-delight-listeners-with-their-wild-and-daring/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [They both changed the way we hear the sound of the piano, both of them inventors of sonority: Chopin took bel canto singing lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/they-both-changed-the-way-we-hear-the-sound-of-the-piano-both-of-them/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [Classical music thinks in centuries, not four-year terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/classical-music-thinks-in-centuries-not-four-year-terms/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I was such a lazy teenager: I didn't read or play the piano beyond the bare minimum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-was-such-a-lazy-teenager-i-didn-t-read-or-play-the-piano-beyond-the/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I think there are very few people that I would give the title of genius to, really, but Beethoven unquestionably is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-think-there-are-very-few-people-that-i-would-give-the-title-of/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [In school, my favourite class was when we were given a subject for an essay on which we could freewheel. And poetry: I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/in-school-my-favourite-class-was-when-we-were-given-a-subject-for-an/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [If I'm walking along the street, ideas come. Ideas about things that I'm interested in. I've jotted them down in the past on bits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/if-i-m-walking-along-the-street-ideas-come-ideas-about-things-that-i/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I can admire music where you feel the composer has everything organized and perfectly shaped, but it doesn't touch me. I like to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-can-admire-music-where-you-feel-the-composer-has-everything/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I was out of the U.K. as a care-free, fun-loving student for much of Mrs. Thatcher's time in Downing Street, and as I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-was-out-of-the-u-k-as-a-care-free-fun-loving-student-for-much-of/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [Before Liszt, a conductor was someone who just facilitated the performance, who would keep people together or beat the time, indicate the entries. After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/before-liszt-a-conductor-was-someone-who-just-facilitated-the/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [There's certainly no doubt that commercialism has entered classical music to such a degree that almost no one seems to care anymore about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/there-s-certainly-no-doubt-that-commercialism-has-entered-classical/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) [Explore all 99 Stephen Hough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before the 20th century, to be a successful musician was merely to be one who was employed. 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