Classical music concerts: then vs now

Inspired by a recent TwoSet Violin discussion on struggles and anxieties that classical musicians face nowadays, I decided to research to find out where some of the expectations that we put today on classical performers (and performances) come from. Did soloists always had to play by memory? Did Beethoven care more about making mistakes or playing with expression? Basically, was it always like this?
This video is an open discussion and I am happy to hear your thoughts below!
Here is the article and book that I read to compile the historic information on these topics:

"Why so serious" by Alex Ross, for The New Yorker
"After the Golden Age: Pianism and modern performance" by Kenneth Hamilton

And here is TwoSet´s video on mental health. I only discuss a small content of that video, so if you are interested in a broader discussion do check it out!
https://youtu.be/dFhSHlNvZlQ

Видео Classical music concerts: then vs now канала How I Met The Opera