Different times. But classical composers had templates, just like we do.
Bach, Vivaldi and other composers of that era composed pieces that they also used for other settings or instruments. So an existing hobo concerto was rearranged to become a new flute concerto?
In 1928 Dimitri Shostakovitch, who always claimed to love any kind of music, was challenged by conductor Nikolai Malko and he bet him 100 rubles that he couldn’t orchestrate the song ‘Tea for Two’ within an hour after having hearing it just once on a record. Shostakovitch won the bet by doing the complete orchestration in just 40 minutes!
Maurice Ravel claimed that composing is mainly about making choices and it is 90% perspiration and craftsmanship and just 10% inspiration.
Classical composers struggled with creation just as we do today. A lot of people seem to think that composing music is a pure feast? Well, it isn’t! Just like any other job it involves hard work! I also think that composers are often bi-polar. They need to live all the lows and highs of emotions to be able to create that in the music they write.
Many classical composers have encountered depressions at some point. The creative mind is strong and fragile at the same time. The creative mind thrives on being able to create. If for some reason that process is interrupted for a longer period of time it creates discomfort and in the long run depression.
How “effective and ineffective” are our tools are as opposed to Mozart, Beethoven etc in his days is not really the question?
The question is: “how talented are you as a composer and how skilled are you in terms of the tools you use today?”
Some talented kid could create the most beautiful work on a cheap laptop in a day with a minimum of tools, while some would be musician with a million dollar studio with the most fancy software that’s available can’t create sh*t in a year?
So I think creating music is all about talent and being able to make the right choices at the right time.