Century

History of Breitkopf & Härtel

The history of the world's oldest music publishing house. Further information in our book publications:

BV 109-112, BV 296

1719	Founded by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf (1695-1777) in Leipzig. The firm initially devoted itself exclusively to the printing of books. Later Breitkopf purchased the "Golden Bear House" near the Thomaskirche and the Nicolaikirche. Its heraldic animal still embellishes the publisher's mark to this day.
1736	"Schemellis Gesangbuch" (with Bach chorales) foreshadows the company's future music publishing activities.
1754/55	Improvement of the printing of music with movable type by Johann Gottlob Immanuel Breitkopf (1719-1794). He later invented a Gothic type called "Breitkopf Fraktur", which is still known and valued today.
1762-87	Breitkopf's "Thematische Verzeichnisse". The thematic catalogues with music incipits document the company's impressive stock of works and provide information on the music of Haydn and the early classical era.
1795	Gottfried Christoph Härtel takes over the publishing house (since then: " Breitkopf & Härtel"). Subsequently, close editorial collaboration with Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner and Brahms.
1797	The "Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung" (1797-1848), edited by Friedrich Rochlitz, is the first high-quality music journal in Germany.

1807	G. Chr. Härtel begins to manufacture pianos, an endeavor which lasted until 1872 and give the firm a prestigious standing in this field as well. The Breitkopf pianos are highly esteemed in the 19th century by pianists like Franz Liszt and Clara Schumann.
1809ff.	Complete Beethoven First Editions from Op. 67 (Symphony No. 5) to Op. 86 (Mass in C) after G. Chr. Härtel's visit in Vienna. Breitkopf & Härtel had previously published Beethoven's String Quintet Op. 29 and the Piano Variations Op. 34 and 35 as first editions.
1830ff.	Beginning of long-term collaboration with the most important composers among the young romantic generation: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (String quartett Op. 13, 1830), Robert Schumann (Carnaval Op. 9, 1837), Franz Liszt (Symphonic Poems, 1848), Richard Wagner (Lohengrin, 1850), Johannes Brahms (Works Op. 1-5, 1854)
1850	Beginning of Complete Editions of Bach, Beethoven (1862), Mendelssohn (1874), Mozart (1876), Schumann (1879), Schubert (1884), Berlioz (1900) a. o.
1862	The Köchel Catalogue (KV) by Dr Ludwig Ritter von Köchel contains all Mozart's works in chronological order and begins the famous series of work catalogues: Wotquenne Catalogue (Wotq) of the works by C. P. E. Bach 1905; Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV) by Wolfgang Schmieder 1950
1877	Beginning of the "Volksausgabe Breitkopf & Härtel" (VA). After some years this first editorial series of Breitkopf & Härtel contains nearly all important concert works of the past. In 1913, the "Volksausgabe" is transformed into the "Edition Breitkopf", the basic series today.
1883ff.	Foundation of the branch offices in Brussels, London (left)(1890) and New York (1891). Promising international talents such as the young composers Ferruccio Busoni and Jean Sibelius are actively supported.

About 1900	Monuments of Music (Denkmäler Deutscher Tonkunst, Das Erbe Deutscher Musik a. o.)
1908	The Bach biography written by the young Alsatian organist Albert Schweitzer represents another milestone in the publisher's longtime cultivation of Bach. Schweitzer's book, which presented the latest research of a new generation of scholars, is still of epoch-making significance to musicology and performance practice today. Schweitzer maintained close ties with Breitkopf & Härtel throughout his life. He even sent the publishers a lengthy, hand-written letter in April 1960 to thank them for their best wishes on his 85th birthday: "You really spoiled the old birthday boy. In fact, I have been spoiled through and through. I have been receiving kind letters from friends and strangers from all corners of the earth. What touched me the most was to realize from these letters that the idea of reverence for life is making its way in the world. For the real achievement of my life was to have brought forth this idea."
1926/27	Brahms Complete Edition. Edited by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna. Revised by Hans Gál and Eusebius Mandyczewski, 26 volumes
1943	Destruction of the Leipzig publishing house during the war, Reconstruction starting in 1992.
1945	Resumption of Breitkopf & Härtel's publishing activities in Wiesbaden. Since 1969 the publishing house is located in the Walkmühlstraße 52.
1952	Expropriation of the Leipzig publishing house
1960	Reger Complete Edition. With collaboration of the Max Reger Institute (Elsa Reger Foundation), 35 volumes and 3 supplements Supplementbände
1980	Expansion of the contemporary music program through the acquisition of works from Edition Gerig, Cologne (Helmut Lachenmann, Nicolaus A. Huber, York Höller). This domain was expanded in subsequent years with the works of Adriana Hölszky, Hanspeter Kyburz, Hans Zender and many younger composers.
1984	Extension of the sales and distribution warehouse in Taunusstein and relocation of the orchestra and stage department to Taunusstein. Establishment of subsidiary Breitkopf & Härtel, Paris.
1991	Reconveyance of the original Leipzig publishing house - since then called "Breitkopf & Härtel - Wiesbaden, Leipzig, Paris". Priority is given to the renovation and modernization of the buildings in Leipzig's Nürnberger Strasse, which had become dilapidated after years of mismanagement.
1992	Takeover of the Deutscher Verlag für Musik, Leipzig (DVfM). This firm, founded in Leipzig in 1954, had many scholarly editions which complement Breitkopf & Härtel's classical and contemporary catalogue: Gesualdo di Venosa, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Hanns Eisler, Siegfried Matthus, Udo Zimmermann and many bilingual instrumental methods.
1997	Beginning of the „Leipziger Ausgabe der Werke von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ (LMA). Edited by the "Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig". Chairman of the Editorial Board: Christian Martin Schmidt (Berlin).
1998	Beginning of the complete edition „Jean Sibelius Works“ (JSW). Edited by Helsinki University Library and The Sibelius Society of Finland. Chairman of the Editorial Board: Fabian Dahlström (Turku), since 2000: Glenda Dawn Goss (Helsinki).

2000	Takeover of the publishing house "Musica Rara" (Monteux/France). Breitkopf goes online.
2001	First edition of the series "Breitkopf PÄDAGOGIK".
2002	Beginning of the complete edition "Hanns Eisler Gesamtausgabe" (HEGA) continuing the edition "Eisler: Gesammelte Werke "(EGW).
2003	Acquisition of the orchestral material based on the New Beethoven and New Brahms Complete Editions (G. Henle Verlag Munich). Since 2006 further editions (Solo Concertos) in coproduction with Henle, also of works by Mozart and other composers.
2005	New cover design with "Breitkopf Urtext"-Logo (for the first time issued with Klaus Döge's new edition of Dvorak's „Stabat mater“).
2011	Takeover of the publishing house "Nepomuk Musik Verlag" (Basel/Schweiz).