Print Culture and Music in Sixteenth-Century Venice

English | Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2001 | PDF | 248 pages | 6 MB
Venice achieved preeminence as a great publishing center and music printing capital of Renaissance Europe. This book presents a broad overview of the Venetian music press during the mid-16th century. It bridges the gap between music and other disciplines by incorporating music printing into the wider world of the publishing industry, demonstrating that the field of music was no different from any other specialty of the book trade.

Within this framework, the singular theme of commercial enterprise runs throughout the study. Stressing the commerce of music and its connection to the printing and publishing industry, the book explores various mercantile activities of the trade from the financing and production to the marketing and distribution of music publications.

It also considers the impact print culture had on musicians, delving into the complex relationships that occurred between composers, patrons, and bookmen. Focusing on the two dynastic publishing houses of Scotto and Gardano, the book examines the business practices that these firms followed in the acquisition and selling of music. Their marketing strategies not only minimized competition, but also helped define the musical repertory published in 16th-century Venice.