Not completely true. 95% of Bach's work -- which sets a good part of the foundation of western music is religious. joanna
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True. But who was paying him? I think most of his work, religious or not was sponsored by a series aristocratic courts. I could be wrong. Bach might have had conductor work at a few churchs. I don't know. On the other hand Vivaldi was paid by the church. Well, technically I think he was priest too.
``I'm thinking of the Dutch in particular. Of Vermeer and his virtual halos of light and collars and his virtual annunciations -- not of the birth of Jesus, but of the birth of the round, round earth...''
All true also. Vermeer's Geographer looking out his window, with all his drawing instruments laying around and charts rolled up in the corner.
But the Dutch painters were all struggling hard and making art was straight up capitalist contractor work on speculation---just like now. Very insecure.
Anyway, I still think the Protestant churches while getting the Bread, were not spreading the Bread.
CG