Casting the Bigger Shadow: The Methods and Business of Petrucci vs. Attaingnant

Abstract

The music printing of Ottaviano Petrucci has been largely regarded by historians to be the most elegant and advanced form of music publishing in the Renaissance, while printers such as Pierre Attaingnant are only given an obligatory nod. Through historical research and a study of primary sources such as line-cut facsimiles, I sought to answer the question, how did the triple impression and single impression methods of printing develop, and is one superior to the other? While Petrucci’s triple impression method produced cleaner and more connected staves, a significant number of problems resulted, including pitch accuracy and cost efficiency. Attaingnant’s single impression method solved most of these difficulties, while only sacrificing a small amount of visual aesthetic. Despite these advancements, Petrucci managed to dominate the music publishing industry in Venice during his lifetime while Attaingnant achieved success to a lesser degree. Based on an overview of their business skills, I concluded that Petrucci obtained this success through his twenty-year legal monopoly in Venice, and by staying in tune with his clients' needs and printing music that was in demand. The single impression method of Attaingnant outlasted the triple impression method of Petrucci because his technology was more efficient and accurate, but Petrucci was more successful during his time because of his business skills.