My OpenLearn Profile
- Personalise your OpenLearn profile
- Save your favourite content
- Get recognition for your learning
This page was published over five years ago. Please be aware that due to the passage of time, the information provided on this page may be out of date or otherwise inaccurate, and any views or opinions expressed may no longer be relevant. Some technical elements such as audio-visual and interactive media may no longer work. For more detail, see our Archive and Deletion Policy.
From the middle of the 15th century onwards, the intellectual and cultural life of the West was revolutionised by the development of the printing press. This album explores the technological problems and solutions specific to the printing of music and shows how technology has transformed the way music scores are produced today. The five video tracks examine early music printing processes, 20th century photo lithography and the invention Sibelius, the music programme that changed everything. This material forms part of TA212 Technology of Music.
- Duration 35 mins
- Updated Monday 8th March 2010
- Posted under Engineering & Technology, Music
Track 1: Music Printing
A short introduction to this album
© The Open University 2008
- Read a transcript of this track - you'll need a PDF viewer, such as Adobe's free Adobe Reader
- Download this track from iTunes U - you'll need Apple's free iTunes software
- See details of the Open University course this album comes from
- Discover more from The Open University and iTunesU at open.edu/itunes
Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music Printing | A short introduction to this album Play now Music Printing |
| 2 | Letter Press Technology | Early music printing. The technological problems and solutions involved in making a complete line of music. Play now Letter Press Technology |
| 3 | Letter Press: an example | A close inspection of Plantin's book shows how it all fits together on the page. Play now Letter Press: an example |
| 4 | The Halstan Press | A printing expert takes us through the Halston process and explains how every piece of printed music is put together like a picture. Play now The Halstan Press |
| 5 | Sibelius | The creators of Sibelius describe the idea, the software and its advantages and disadvantages. Play now Sibelius |
| 6 | The Future | Factors the software has to take into account and the effect computerisation will have on music of the future. Play now The Future |
About the author
Tags, Ratings and Social Bookmarking
Ratings
Other content you may like
free course icon
Level
History & The Arts
Recording music and sound
This free course, Recording music and sound, provides an historical introduction to music and sound recording in the creative industries and offers some guidance about making your own recordings. Many of the processes that have been developed and the issues that have been raised in the first 150 years of recording are still relevant today, and a solid grounding in them will help you understand the wide range of recording techniques currently in use.
free course icon
Level
Science, Maths & Technology
Sound for music technology: An introduction
Whether you're a professional musician, play music with your friends on the weekends or just like to listen to CDs, music technology affects your life. In this free course, Sound for music technology: An introduction, you will learn some of the basics of music technology, starting with what sound is, how it is created and how it travels.
activity icon
Science, Maths & Technology
An auditory illusion: The Shepard Tone
It's been called the sonic barber's pole - but what does the Shepard Tone sound like? Try it for yourself...
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Sounds harmonious
Math can be applied to pretty much everything in existence, and music is of no exception. Across this album, The Open University's Alan Graham shares his wealth of knowledge on the relationship between music and math, demonstrates many easy-to-follow theories and examples, and performs several pieces of traditional music with his band Betty's Kitchen. This material forms part of The Open University course MU120 Open mathematics.
article icon
History & The Arts
The discovery that changed our view of Gutenberg
Close examination of Gutenberg texts revealed evidence that required us to rethink how he worked.
article icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Systems Practice
What is systems thinking? Experts in systems thinking share their knowledge; dip into case studies; and discover more.
article icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Hatfield Rail Disaster
Forensic engineering enables us to analyse the Hatfield rail disaster
article icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Inspiring ants
Dr Chris Melhuish explains how the natural world has influenced his work in robotics
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Taxes and privacy: A tech business reading list
Tax judgements, privacy concerns, wonky algorithms, Labour's digital plans and antitrust worries. OpenLearn brings you a quick guide to a busy day of technology stories.
©1999-2020. All rights reserved. The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to its secondary activity of credit broking.
Be the first to post a comment
We invite you to discuss this subject, but remember this is a public forum.
Please be polite, and avoid your passions turning into contempt for others. We may delete posts that are rude or aggressive, or edit posts containing contact details or links to other websites.