Description
Ever wondered who invented the printing press and how this affected music way back when? Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!
Fun Fact
It wasn’t until the 19th century that the hand-operated Gutenberg-style press was replaced by steam-powered rotary presses. This allowed printing on an industrial scale, becoming practically the sole medium for modern bulk printing worldwide.
About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
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Before the printing press, music was either relayed by ear or written painstakingly by monks.
But in the Renaissance period, the invention of the printing press would change everything.
Truth be told, a form of printing actually dates back to 9th century China with woodblock printing.
But Western history books reflect that it was the German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg who invented the printing press around 1440.
He adapted previous technologies to create a screw-type wine press to squeeze down evenly on the inked metal type.
The earliest examples of print were a set of liturgical chants shortly after he printed the Gutenberg Bible.
There were many musicians and composers who are responsible for the subsequent blossoming of printed music, but the best known is the Italian Ottaviano Petrucci.
Over the coming centuries, the printing press spread worldwide, ever-increasing in output with added innovation. And the rest, as they say, is history.