Schott frères
Schott frères is a Belgian sheet music publishing house that began in 1823 as the Belgium branch of B. Schott's Söhne, currently named Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG. The age of Schott frères has five markers. It is:
- Two hundred and fifty years old from the 1770 founding of the publishing firm by Bernhard Schott
- One hundred and ninety-seven years old from the 1823 opening of the Belgium branch
- One hundred and forty-five years old from the 1875 three-way distribution of B. Schott's Söhne
- One hundred and forty-one years old from the 1879 formation of Schott frères of in Brussels and Paris
- One hundred and thirty-one years old from the 1889 acquisition of Schott frères by Otto Junne (1854–1935), a non-family member
Schott frères is one of three European music publishing firms bearing the name Schott, all of which became independent in 1875; the other two, as of 1980, are the same firm – Schott Music GmbH & Co KG based in Mainz. The three publishing houses – part of B. Schott's Söhne when they became independent in 1875 – were: (i) B. Schott's Söhne of Mainz, (ii) Schott and Co., Limited, of London, and (iii) Schott frères of Brussels. By way of partnership, the London firm became affiliated with the Mainz firm, but operated autonomously from 1914 to 1980, when Schott's Söhne of Mainz resumed control. The firms are often confused with one another because, in addition to sharing the Schott name, they distribute music for one another and share the publishing heritage from when the three were one.
The Belgian publishing house, as part of the firm B. Schott's Söhne, was opened in 1823 in Antwerp by two of Bernhard's four children, Johann Andreas Schott (1781–1840) and Johann Josef Schott (1782–1855).[1] Peter Bernhard Schott (1821–1873), Johann Andreas' son, became managing director of the Antwerp branch,[2] and in 1943, moved it to Brussels.
Three-way distribution of B. Schott's Söhne in 1875
Franz Schott (1811–1874) – the oldest son of Johann Andreas Schott (1781–1840), who was the oldest son of Bernhard Schott – was the managing director and sole proprietor of B. Schott's Söhne from 1855 until his death. Franz's will stipulated that B. Schott's Söhne be distributed after the death of his wife, Betty de Braunrasch (1820–1875), as follows:[3]
| Mainz |
Franz Ritter von Landwehr (born 1865) inherited the publishing business of Mainz while a minor; after reaching majority age, he operated it until retirement in 1911. The publishing house became Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG |
| Brussels & Paris |
Peter Schott (1857–1894) inherited the publishing business of Brussels and Paris while a minor. On April 5, 1879, two granddaughters of Bernhard Schott who had been managing the Brussels and Paris houses, created the partnership Schott frères. On November 11, 1886, the granddaughters appointed Pierre Schott as sole director;[4] September 30, 1888, Schott frères was liquidated, with Peter Schott serving as liquidator. In 1889, Pierre Schott conveyed the exclusive rights of Schott frères to Otto Junne (1854–1935), a non-family managing partner.[5] The Paris house published under the name Editions Schott. Jean-Jacques Junne (1924–2012), Otto's grandson, had been managing director.[6] He was a jazz saxophonist and band leader known as Jacky June.[7]
Effective January 1, 2007, Schott Music' acquired Schott fréres from the two main shareholders: Eric Junne and Music & Instruments Distribution (MID). Schott fréres had been domiciled at Ravensteinstraat in Brussels. MID was operating a shop there and Schott frères was running a small publishing catalog. The shop was closed. |
| London | Ludwig Strecker, Sr. (JD) (1853–1943), a non-family member and counselor to the firm when it was under Franz Schott's helm, inherited the publishing business of London.[4][8] The London house was founded in 1838 by Adam Joseph Schott (1794–1864) as a branch of B. Schott's Söhne. The branch, since 1849, had been managed by Johann Baptist Wolf (1815–1881) until his death.[9] Upon Wolf's death, Carl Volkert (né Karl Gottlieb Otto Charles Volkert; 1854–1929) and W. B. Lemmer (né William Berkeley Lemmer; 1853–1919) became co-managers.[10] Carl Volkert was the son-in-law of music historian Friedrich Chrysander. In 1909, Strecker's two sons, Ludwig Strecker Jr (juris doctor) (1883–1978) and Willi (né Wilhelm Strecker; 1884–1958) joined the firm and became directors in 1920.[11] In 1952, Heinz Schneider-Schott (1906–1988) became director. In 1956, Ludwig, Jr., became sole proprietor. In 1974, Peter Hanser-Strecker (juris doctor) (born 1942) became a director. Peter is a maternal grandson of Ludwig Strecker Jr., his mother was Marion Hanser (née Strecker-Prätorius; 1912–1970). Arno Volk (1914–1987), the founder of the publishing firm Laaber-Verlag who had held a leading position in the firm since 1957, served as chairman from 1974 to 1977. In 1983, Hanser-Strecker became Chairman and Managing Director. The London publishing house was incorporated in 1924 as Schott and Co., Limited, and changed its name to Schott Music Limited in 2006. The London house has only been in two locations: from 1835 to 1908 at 159 Regent Street and from 1908 to present at 48 Great Marlborough Street. In 1980, Schott and Co., Limited, became part of B. Schott's Söhne, which in 1995 was renamed Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG headquartered in Mainz. As of 2000, the directors were Peter Hanser-Strecker (president), Ludolf Freiherr von Canstein, and Rolf Reisinger. |
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Selected plate numbers of music in the public domain
| Plate | Composer | Work (public domain) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.G. 29 | Guilmant | Symphony No. 1, Op. 42 | 1879 |
| S.F. 532 | Benoit | "Laura" | 1858 |
| S.F. 638 | Benoit | "Petits bouquets" | 1859 |
| S.F. 639 | Benoit | "Revenez petits oiseaux" | 1859 |
| S.F. 820 | Benoit | "La trace de test pas" | 1861 |
| S.F. 821 | Benoit | "Ici je veux rêver" | 1861 |
| S.F. 1579-1583 | Battmann | "Bibliothèque religieuse complète, Op.330-341 | 1873 |
| S.F. 2021 | Gobbaerts | "Souvenir du Camp," Op.49 | 1879 |
| S.F. 2202 | Benoît | "Ave Maria" in F major | 1892 |
| S.F. 3521 | Wieniawski | Piano Trio, Op. 40 | 1885 |
| S.F. 3590 | Wieniawski | Fantasia for 2 Pianos, Op. 42 | 1886 |
| S.F. 3601 (1) | Fernand Le Borne | Scènes de Ballet, Op. 9 | 1886 |
| S.F. 3692 | Servais | Concerto in A minor, Op. posthumous | 1887 |
| S.F. 3988 | Hartog, Eduard de | Ein Mährchen. Charakterskizze f. Orch., Op. 62 | 1889 |
| S.F. 4169 | Gustav Hille, Gustav | Violin Concerto No. 3, Op. 60 | 1892 |
| S.F. 4320 | Accolay | Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor | 1895 |
| S.F. 4594 | Rasse, François | Piano Trio, Op. 16 | 1898 |
| S.F. 4760 | Reuss, Prince Heinrich | String Sextet No. 1, Op. 12 | 1899 |
| S.F. 4859 | Closson | "Nocturne" (flute) | 1901 |
| S.F. 4981ª | Holmès | Ton nom | 1890 |
| S.F. 5106 | Azevedo e Silva | Piano Quintet | 1905 |
| S.F. 5271-2 | Callaerts | 2 Sonates pour Orgue | 1908 |
| S.F. 5594 | Ysaÿe | Divertimento, Op. 24 | 1921 |
| S.F. 5595 | Ysaÿe | Au Rouet, Op. 13 | 1921 |
| S.F. 5596 | Ysaÿe | Extase, Op. 21 | 1921 |
| S.F. 5603 | Ysaÿe | Variations for 2 Pianos, Op. 10 | 1917 |
| S.F. 6760 | Benoit | Contes et Ballades, Op.34 | |
| S.F. 8641 | Mozart | Fantasia No. 3, K. 397 |
Influence on Belgium music
Schott frères and its Brussels predecessor, B. Schott's Söhne, played a critical role in defining a Belgian identity – a blend of Flemish and Belgian-French, both connected to the pure French school. Compositions were produced for chamber music, orchestras, military bands, Belgian royalty, churches, and music pedagogy, namely the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
Selected compositions (by instrument)
| Plate | Composer | Work (public domain) | Year | Library ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.F. 9395 | Daneels | "Four Miniatures" (for saxophone) | 1982 | OCLC 421387160, 17466894 |
| Daneels | "14 Etudes for Saxophone" | 1973 | OCLC 29246925 | |
| Poot | "Ballade: for saxophone & piano" | 1948 | OCLC 494125394 |
| Plate | Composer | Work (public domain) | Year | Library ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournemire | "Symphony Chorale for Organ," Op. 69 | 1939 | OCLC 4387063 | |
| Peeters | "Anthologia Pro Organo" | 1949 | OCLC 66012848 |
| Plate | Composer | Work (public domain) | Year | Library ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alain | "15 negro spirituals" | 1967 | OCLC 31371641 |
| Plate | Composer | Work (public domain) | Year | Library ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.F. 9145 | Ysaÿe | "Sonata for Cello Solo" | 1964 | OCLC 223237012 |
Related links
- Le guide musical, classical music periodical founded in 1855 by what then was the Brussels branch of B. Schott' Söhne
- Zéphyr Records (1978–1986), classical record label of Schott Frères
- Jacky June (1924–2012), Otto Junne's grandson, a Belgian jazz pioneer, who served as director of Schott frères
References
General references
- Catalogue de la Maison Schott Frères, Bruxelles
- Das Haus Schott, by Max Seiffert, Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, Vol. 20 (1893), pp. 557–558
- Elf ungedruckte Briefe Liszts an Schott, edited by Edgar Istel, Die Musik, Vol. 3 (1905–1906), pp. 43–52 OCLC 1696908
- Zur Geschichte des Privilegium exclusivum des Mainzer Musikstechers Bernhard Schott, by Benno Ziegler in Festschrift für Georg Leidinger, edited by Albert Hartmann (1885–1973) Munich: H. Schmidt (1930),pp. 293–305 OCLC 731466159
- Die Musikpflege am Hofe der Kurfürsten von Mainz im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert by Karl Schweickert, Mainz: Commissioned by L. Wilckens (1937) OCLC 4364575
- Richard Wagner als Verlagsgefährte, by Ludwig Anderson, pseudonym of Ludwig Strecker, Jr. (1883–1978) (Mainz, 1951) OCLC 2567318
- Mainzer Musikgeschichte von 1500 bis 1800, by Adam Gottron, City Library of Mainz (publisher) (1959) OCLC 4969614
- Bernhard Schott, Hofmusikstecher in Mainz: die Frühgeschichte seines Musikverlages bis 1797, mit einen Verzeichnis der Verlagswerke 1779–1797, by Hans-Christian Müller (1935–1993), Mainz: Schott Music (1977) OCLC 219228708
- Der Briefwechsel mit dem Verlag Schott, by Ludwig van Beethoven, edited by Beethoven-Haus, Munich: G. Henle Verlag (1985) OCLC 14001065
- Early Lithographed Music, by Michael Twyman, London: Farrand Press (1996) OCLC 36656281
- Bibliographie des Schrifttums zur Geschichte deutscher und österreichischer Musikverlage, by Hans-Martin Pleßke, Beiträge zur Geschichte des Buchwesens (journal) Vol. 3 (1968) pp. 135–222 OCLC 72339269
- B. Schott's Söhne, by Ernst Laaff, Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart Vol. 12, New York: Bärenreiter (1965) pp. 50–52 OCLC 34080137
Inline citations
- The Music Reviews and Criticism in Wallonia and Brussels in the Nineteenth Century, by Henri Albert Alexander Vanhulst (born 1943) (Brussels), Periodica Musica (in French), College Park: University of Maryland (publisher), Vol IX (1991), pp. 15–19 ISSN 0822-7594
- Music Publishing in Europe 1600–1900: Concepts and Issues Bibliography, edited by Rudolph Rasch & David Wyn Jones, Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag, p. 188 (2004) OCLC 495402493
- A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (A.D. 1450–1880), edited by Sir George Grove, Volume 3 of 4, London: MacMillan and Co. (1883): Entry on p. 315: B. Schott Söhne contributed by Carl Ferdinand Pohl (1819–1887) OCLC 836665829
- Dictionnaire de Musique (in French), by Hugo Riemann, Fourth Edition, edited by Georges Humbert, Paris: Perrin et Cie, Libraires-Èditeurs (1899) OCLC 77452525
- The Art of Music: A dictionary-index of musicians, by Daniel Gregory Mason, National Society of Music, Book 1 of 14, p. 248 (1917)
- Dictionnaire des facteurs d'instruments de musique en Wallonie à Bruxelles du 9e siècle à nos jours, Conseil de la musique de la Communauté française de Belgique, Belgium: Pierre Mardaga (publisher), p. 369 (1986); Article: "Schott frères," by Malou Haine OCLC 15157333
- Dictionnaire du jazz à Bruxelles et en Wallonie, Conseil de la musique de la Communauté française de Belgique, Belgium: Pierre Mardaga (publisher), p. 182; Article: "June, Jacky" (pseudonym of Jean-Jacques Junne; 1824–2012), by Marc Danval (born 1937) OCLC 26576672, 30357595
- Richard Wagner's Letters from original editions: Vol. 4, Collection VIII – Correspondence Between Wagner and B. Schott's Söhne, Letter No. 193 dated May 8, 1875, p. 192, footnote 2 Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel (1911) OCLC 5782359Compilation that includes Wagner's Correspondence With His Publishers, Vol. II, edited by Wilhelm Altmann, Mainz: B. Schott's Söhne (1911) OCLC 491253418, 504229273, 175105747
- Händel-Jahrbuch: Im Auftrage der Georg-Friedrich-Händel-Gesellschaft (Handel Yearbook), p. 128 (2002) ISSN 0440-0992
- Obituaries – Charles G. J. Volkert, The Strad, 1929, Vol. 40, p. 512 ISSN 0039-2049
- Festschrift für einen Verleger: Ludwig Strecker zum 90. Geburtstag, by Ludwig Anderson, pseudonym of Ludwig Strecker, Jr. (1883–1978), edited by Carl Dahlhaus, Mainz: Schott Music (1973) OCLC 166521607