MANUSCRIPTS
Until the 15th century the only way to replicate music was to sit laboriously copying by hand. The manuscripts copied were generally liturgical works, often embellished with beautiful elaborate artwork. The process of copying one single manuscript, usually undertaken by monks, could take years to complete. In their cold medieval monastery they sat at desks in a room that was known as a 'scriptorium'. The sculpture above, found in the portico of the Cathedral of Burgos, shows two monks working in their scriptorium.
By daylight or by candlelight they copied manuscripts. Artists decorated or 'illuminated' them with beautiful, elegant initial letters, miniature paintings, and stunning colours including gold and silver leaf that made them 'lluminate' or light up. This was an expensive process because of the very long hours it took (sometimes a lifetime!) and because of the rich colours used, including gold and silver.
Some beautiful illuminated manuscripts can be seen in the Museum of St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, and in the Museum of the Cathedral of Mdina.
I'm providing a link to two articles: Malta proud of its choral book collections (timesofmalta.com) by Lino Bugeja, and another: The Houghton Gradual and the Choir Books in Malta | Houghton Library Blog (harvard.edu) showing some wonderful 16th century choral books and miniature paintings to be found in Malta. Have a look!
MUSIC PRINTING 1
FIRST PRINTING:
In the mid 15th century a new invention revolutionised European cultural life - the invention of the PRINTING PRESS. This made books available to a far wider public. The success with printing words and images was very soon followed by attempts at music printing. The earliest known books of printed music - such as the 1473 'Constance Gradual' now in the British Library - included large decorative initial letters filled in by hand in imitation of the old way they were accustomed to in manuscripts. (See A. Hyatt King Four Hundred Years of Music Printing, The British Museum (1968))
MOVABLE TYPE:
Several attempts at improving music printing took place over the years. The most important progress was made with the use of 'movable type'. This was perfected in Venice by the music printer Ottaviano Petrucci (1466-1539). Other music printers in Venice and in other European cities began to imitate his method.
17th century printing by movable type. Venice, Alessandro Vincenti 1648.
This type of printing was undertaken in segments of stave lines with attached lozenge-shaped notes, so that you will notice the stave lines are always disconnected rather than straight lines. Each note is also separate, without any 'beaming' or joining. We have several seventeenth-century examples of this kind of printing in the Mdina Cathedral Archives, some printed in Venice, others in Bologna, Milan, Rome, Naples, Palermo and Paris. There are several examples by the important Venetian printer Alessandro Vincenti.
The next post will deal with MUSIC ENGRAVING and will be followed by LITHOGRAPHY.
Keep watching!
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