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The thing that changed everything was when Edison invented the phonograph.

We're lucky the old masters wrote down the scores or it would all be gone. That must have been quite job. I wonder if they had students hand-copy them or was there a printing machine. I think the Gutenberg press was probably around but don't know if it could print music.



I've read a few biographies of Beethoven, and he was constantly fighting with his publishers. He was a cantankerous guy, and didn't appreciate it when the publisher "interpreted" what he wrote. So obviously the presses were rolling out music manuscripts in his time - he used at least two of them, and likely several because of the disagreements.

Glenn



I figured there must have some kind of printing but did't know the history of it. (I do remember dot-matrix printers though!)

I've read bios that attributed it to his going deaf to making him bitter and cantankerous. Mess with his notes and I'm sure he really got mean!

When I alternate listening to him and Mozart, he does sound kind of like a bitter old man, and Mozart like a young man in love. To me at least.

Like the man said, "ain't that a kick in the head!"