Breitkopf & Härtel

German firm of music publishers and printers. It was established in Leipzig in 1719 by the printer Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf (1695-1777). From 1745, under his son Johann Gottlob Immanuel (1719-94), it achieved renown for its efficient production and improved music typography (divisible and movable types introduced in 1754-5), as well as for its outstanding list of composers from Telemann to Haydn and C. P. E. Bach; its thematic catalogues remain invaluable. Gottfried Christoph Härtel (1763-1827) bought the firm in 1796; he used lithography, issued early collected editions, negotiated with Mozart's widow, courted Beethoven's favour (publishing the first editions of 25 of his works) and founded the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (1798-1848). Under his great-nephews Raymund (1810-88) and Hermann (1803-75) the firm issued works by Schubert, Brahms, Chopin and Berlioz, operas by Meyerbeer, Donizetti, Bellini and Lortzing and the complete Bach edition. Later it promoted modern German composers. Since 1945 the firm has been divided, one section in Leipzig, the other in Wiesbaden.

Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf

Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf (1695-1777). The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The "Härtel" was added to the name when Gottfried Christoph Härtel took over the company in 1795. In 1807 G. Chr. Härtel began to manufacture pianos, an endeavor which lasted until 1870. The Breitkopf pianos were highly esteemed in the 19th century by pianists like 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.

The company has consistently supported contemporary composers and had close editorial collaboration with Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner and Brahms.

This tradition continues today, and composers such as Nicolaus A. Huber, Helmut Lachenmann, Udo Zimmermann grace the Breitkopf catalogue.

They also published the first complete works edition of Mozart, the so-called Alte Mozart-Ausgabe.

Reference and external links

• Breitkopf & Hartel website

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