It can be difficult for us, in the twenty-first century, to conceptualize a time before “museum culture.”

Museum culture: the idea of a “collection” of works that make up “classical music.” Emerging in the Romantic era (mid 19th century), museum culture causes musicians and the public to revere works that are part of the “canon” over works that are new.

Previously, the vast majority of works performed in concerts in Europe were by living composers. Thanks to museum culture’s “discouragement of living genius” and the new idea of “curatorship” (Taruskin 2005 v. 3, 681), the vast majority of compositions performed by orchestras today are by composers who are dead. In addition, there has been an expectation that ensembles will perform from the “masterworks” or “standard repertoire” periodically (e.g. Lincolnshire Posy, Messiah, Beethoven Symphonies).

Composers therefore feel some pressure to immediately get their new compositions in the “collection,” which can discourage some composers from taking risks or pushing boundaries, artificially encouraging conservatism in music.

Burkholder: “Once the concert hall became the museum, the only works appropriate to be performed there were museum pieces—either pieces that were already old and revered or pieces which served exactly the same function, as musical works of lasting value which proclaimed a distinctive musical personality, which rewarded study, and which became loved as they became familiar.”