One thing that you learn as an artist is that it's good to have a patron. The popular illusion is of the independent entrepreneur who through the strength and novelty of their original vision captures the hearts and minds of the masses and markets their output commercially.
The truth is that every Vincent has at least a Theo and that financial success is like winning the lottery. Most who are ridden by a Muse die poor, young, and convinced they are despised.
Welcome our Benevolent Oligarch Masters.
As I had the good fortune a few years ago to be heard by Your Royal Highness, at Your Highness's commands, and as I noticed then that Your Highness took some pleasure in the little talents which Heaven has given me for Music, and as in taking Leave of Your Royal Highness, Your Highness deigned to honour me with the command to send Your Highness some pieces of my Composition: I have in accordance with Your Highness's most gracious orders taken the liberty of rendering my most humble duty to Your Royal Highness with the present Concertos, which I have adapted to several instruments; begging Your Highness most humbly not to judge their imperfection with the rigor of that discriminating and sensitive taste, which everyone knows Him to have for musical works, but rather to take into benign Consideration the profound respect and the most humble obedience which I thus attempt to show Him. And he was just a Margrave, the equivalent of a Count or a Baron. Imagine if he were a Duke.So here's an audition piece for you.
Of course there's more.