Breitkopf & Härtel

{{Infobox publisher

| name = Breitkopf & Härtel

| image = Breitkopf & Härtel Logo.png

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| founded = {{start date|1719}} in Leipzig

| founder = {{nowrap|Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf}}

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| country = Germany

| headquarters = Wiesbaden

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| keypeople =

| publications = Sheet music

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| url = {{URL|https://www.breitkopf.com/}}

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File:Gottfried Christoph Härtel.jpg

Breitkopf & Härtel ({{IPA|de|ˈbraɪtkɔpf ʔʊnt ˈhɛrtəl}}) is a German music publishing house. Founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf, it is the world's oldest music publisher.{{cite book|last=Adelmann|first=Marianne|title=Musical Europe: An Illustrated Guide to Musical Life in 18 European Countries|url=https://archive.org/details/musicaleuropeill00adel|url-access=registration|year=1974|publisher=Paddington Press|isbn=978-0-8467-0031-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/musicaleuropeill00adel/page/252 252]}}

Overview

The catalogue contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried Christoph Härtel took over the company in 1795. In 1807, Härtel began to manufacture pianos, an endeavour which lasted until 1870. Breitkopf pianos were highly esteemed in the 19th century by such pianists as Franz Liszt and Clara Schumann.

In the 19th century the company was for many years the publisher of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, an influential music journal.{{cite book|last=Rehding|first=Alexander|title=Music and Monumentality: Commemoration and Wonderment in Nineteenth Century Germany|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3bibd5CKQjsC&pg=PT246|date=20 July 2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-988889-4|page=246}}

The company has consistently supported composers and had close editorial collaboration with Beethoven, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Wagner and Brahms. In the 19th century they also published the first "complete works" editions of various composers, for instance Bach (the Bach-Gesellschaft edition), Mozart (the Alte Mozart-Ausgabe),{{cite book|last1=Görner|first1=Rüdiger|last2=McLaughlin|first2=Carly|title=Mozart -- a challenge for literature and thought|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NnT9rLlwJYQC&pg=PA161|year=2007|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-3-03911-177-0|page=161}} and Schubert (the Franz Schubert's Werke). This tradition continues today with prominent contemporary composers such as Heinz Holliger, Helmut Lachenmann and Wolfgang Rihm.

The firm was on the board of directors of the Händel-Gesellschaft in 1858.

References

External links

{{Official website|https://www.breitkopf.com/}}
[http://www.interlude.hk/front/music-eyes-music-catalogue-breitkopf-hartel/ Music for the Eyes - From the Music Catalogue of Breitkopf & Härtel]
{{Cite Grove1900|wstitle= Breitkopf and Härtel |volume= 1 | pages= 272-273 |last= Pohl |first= Carl Ferdinand |author-link= Carl Ferdinand Pohl|| |short=1}}
{{IMSLP2|work=Breitkopf und Härtel|cname=Breitkopf & Härtel}}
{{IMSLP2|work=Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (Bach, Johann Sebastian)|cname=Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe}}
[http://www.fortepian.instrumenty.edu.pl/en/pianos/show/piano/121 Breitkopf & Härtel Grand Piano (Leipzig, ca. 1848) - The Piano in Polish Collections] (historical instruments)
[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/annekathrin-mascus Interview with Head of Sales, Annekathrin Mascus] at NAMM Oral History Library (2014)
[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/dr-frank-reinisch Interview with Vice President, Dr. Frank Reinisch] at NAMM Oral History Library (2006)
[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/lieselotte-sievers Interview with President, Lieselotte Sievers] at NAMM Oral History Library (2008)