Abstract
During the early modern period, most European court cities saw the shift from patronage-oriented court theatre that targeted the nobility to market-oriented public theatre for a broad public equally admitted to attend performances. In Vienna, this development started in the late 18th century when many private commercial theatres opened in the suburbs. The purpose of this article is to clarify the transition of the economic structure of Viennese theatre by relating it to the socio-economic and -cultural background. By examining the account books of the court theatre, the author has analysed the supply-demand relationship between the national court theatre (Nationaltheater) and its audiences during the reign of Joseph II. Beginning with Maria Theresa's reign, theatre began to change in Vienna. The actual shift, however, only occurred because of the theatre reform initiated by Joseph II that resulted in a more efficient management of the court theatre. The reform consequently improved quality and profitability of its performance and permitted activities of many private theatres. The 'theatre market' in Vienna emerged at the end of the 18th century as a result of this expansion of theatrical transactions and steadily increasing demand from almost all social classes.
