The Publishers of Beethoven
Beethoven lived in a period during which there occurred a radical change in the modes of dissemination and publication of music. If in Bach’s time, little more than fifty years earlier, it was very difficult to have one’s own composition printed—so much so that Bach saw only very few of his works published and printed—the publication of musical scores became increasingly frequent and widespread precisely during the first quarter of the nineteenth century.
In those years, in Vienna as well as in all the great cities where musical life was very intense thanks to the theatres, the court chapels, and the musical gatherings that many nobles and wealthy amateurs held in their residences, a great quantity of handwritten music was still circulating. The profession of music copyist was still very widespread, and naturally the copyist had a very important role in preparing clear copies of the parts both for the instrumentalists of an orchestra or a quartet, for the singers, and for the printers.
In Beethoven’s case, the relationship with copyists was always lively and at times stormy, given that the master—as is recounted in many collections of biographical notes about him—always finished his works at the last moment, a few days if not a few hours before the scheduled performance, so that at times there was scarcely enough time to make handwritten copies of the various parts to be distributed in the orchestra, as happened, as Wegeler recalls, on the occasion of the concert of 29 March 1795 at the Burgtheater, Beethoven’s first public appearance in Vienna as pianist and composer (and indeed the overture to Fidelio could be performed only at the second performance).
Moreover, Beethoven was impatient and distrustful, to the point of placing confidence in only a very few copyists. And in those days, music shops sold not only printed scores but also handwritten ones. But it was precisely during Beethoven’s lifetime that things changed, and the quantity of printed music available on the market kept increasing. Printers and publishers grew in number while printing costs were being reduced, thanks also to the discovery, made by Johann Gottlob Immanuel Breitkopf (1719–1794), of a method of printing music with movable type.
Until then, the most common method of printing music had been lithography or engraving on metal plates, and this obviously entailed considerable labour if, once the first prints had been made, corrections had to be carried out. And, it may be said in passing, at this point the author could sometimes make additions or alterations. In Beethoven’s case this must have occurred with the Fifth Symphony, whose definitive edition presents notable differences compared with the first printed copies.
On the other hand, metal plates, after repeated use, no longer yielded a clear print and had to be remade, with the risk of introducing new errors. Furthermore, it was not customary to have the proofs corrected by the author, and Beethoven in his letters often complains of this to his publishers—letters that are at times filled precisely with musical examples to be substituted in the score at the indicated points, so that the new copies would be correct. Many times, however, this was entirely ignored by the printers.
Beethoven’s battles with his copyists have become legendary, as have his complaints against them. So much so that, although Beethoven’s handwriting—as one can appreciate at a glance when looking at a facsimile—was certainly difficult to decipher, he maintained [Letter A.220, to Breitkopf & Härtel, 26 July 1809] that “the most accurate engravings were made from those compositions that had been transcribed by my own hand.”
It can be very difficult today, for certain works, truly to know what Beethoven’s intention was—that is, what he had actually written. For several works the manuscripts have been lost, and therefore the only remaining source is the first printed edition of the work, in which, it may be said incidentally, last‑minute additions by the author (see what happened at the beginning of Op. 106) or alterations by the publisher may have been introduced. In some posthumous reprints certain spurious modifications have again been reproduced, considered original even by musicians who were by no means inexperienced. This occurred with the famous four measures arbitrarily introduced by Nägeli in Op. 31 in the 1804 edition, despite the fact that, during Beethoven’s lifetime, a new corrected edition had been published by Simrock.
Even in those days publishers were eager for new music, but they wished to publish only those works which, in their judgment, would be most successful and easiest to sell. Beethoven was in a certain sense a privileged figure (or was this rather the sign of the importance of his work and of the understanding which, despite criticism, his music received?). His works spread rapidly on the market, and at a certain point in his life he could boast of being courted by more than one publisher.
Already in 1801 [A.51], in the letter of 29 June to Wegeler, he wrote: “My compositions bring me a great deal, and I can affirm that I have more commissions than I can almost manage to fulfil. Moreover, for each of them I can count on six or seven publishers. With me no more bargaining is done: what I ask is granted to me.”
In 1822, in a letter to his brother Johann [K.1023], he boasted: “I receive from Peters 1000 Gulden M.C. for the Missa Solemnis, and he also takes other minor compositions. He has given orders to pay 300 Gulden here. While you are reading this letter I have not yet received the money. Breitkopf & Härtel too have sent to me their Saxon chargé d’affaires for some work, and from Paris I have also had requests for my compositions, and also from Diabelli in Vienna; in short, everyone is trying to take possession of my works—what an utterly unhappy and utterly happy man I am!!!”
But not everything was always easy. As his correspondence shows, some publishers occasionally refused certain of his works, and for example the publication of his Masses and his theatrical music was rather laborious. And his behaviour was not always transparent. At that time copyright legislation did not yet exist. Usually things went as follows. A new work was often ceded to a wealthy patron—who might have been the commissioner—for a certain sum and for a certain period of time, for example six months or a year, during which the patron could have it performed as often as he wished in his palaces, by his orchestra or by the musicians in his service. Once the agreed period had elapsed, the composer, so to speak, regained possession of it and could then sell it to a publisher.
The publisher who purchased it (and this applied also to works not commissioned) paid the composer a certain sum, once only, and from that moment the work became his property and the publisher produced the first edition. This implied that a musician could not sell the same work to several publishers simultaneously, and conversely it ought also to have meant that it was forbidden for other publishers to appropriate the work and print it on their own account. This rule was generally respected within the borders of a nation, but publishers of other countries could freely reprint the work and, having incurred no expense in paying the author, could sell their copies at a lower price than the publisher who had become its rightful owner.
But illicit editions within the same nation—already then called “pirate”—were an everyday occurrence. A classic example was Op. 29, the String Quintet. Beethoven had given it for use for six months, naturally in exchange for a fee, to Count Fries, and at the expiration of the term he had sold it to the publisher Breitkopf & Härtel. But in the meantime Artaria had produced a pirated edition, claiming to have purchased it from the Count who, having paid Beethoven for it, had become its owner and therefore had the right to resell it. According to Artaria, therefore, their edition was entirely legal. Episodes of this kind gave rise to long legal disputes and were commonplace among European publishers.
Things went somewhat better in the case of very distant countries. The risks, slowness, and costs of transport discouraged publishers from printing pirated copies to be placed on the market of far‑off nations. Beethoven thus had the opportunity to sell the same work simultaneously to Austrian and English publishers, obtaining double payment for his labour, while the publisher was at ease because he was certain, for the reasons mentioned, of remaining the owner of the printing rights for that work at least in his own country. Usually the two publishers were informed so that the two editions would appear simultaneously, but this did not always happen.
Yet episodes of piracy, even if occasional, continued to occur. Tyson reconstructed the history of the publication of the Bagatelles Op. 119. It is known that nos. 7–11 had been published in 1821 in Vienna by Starke in his Pianoforteschule. Beethoven had intended to have the first six published by another German publisher, and to sell all eleven simultaneously for England to Clementi. But it ended up that, during the procrastinations of the German publisher Peters, Clementi’s 1823 edition was illicitly reprinted by Moritz Schlesinger in Paris and then by Sauer and Leidesdorf in Vienna!
Another interesting aspect concerns the publication dates of Beethoven’s works. It is rather difficult to know them exactly, because the date was not usually printed on the score. And in European countries, with the exception of England, no register of publications existed. In most cases one must be content with the year of publication and, with greater or lesser approximation, the period of the year and sometimes the month. The date can be deduced, sometimes quite precisely, from the announcements with which publishers communicated the forthcoming or just‑issued publication of a work in newspapers and journals. In England, however, at Stationers’ Hall, there was a register in which all new printed works had to be entered, with the date beside them, and this allows us to know the exact publication date.
On the other hand, it must be remembered that Beethoven’s behaviour with publishers was not always transparent. At times he offered the same work to more than one simultaneously, boasting to one of the offers made by the others, and at times offering as completed works that perhaps were completed only in his mind, but of which he had not yet written a note. The most emblematic example was the Missa Solemnis. Solomon has briefly summarised the whole story as follows. It appears that as early as 1820, therefore when the work had only just been begun, Beethoven offered the Mass to Simrock in Bonn, establishing the conditions. The agreement was that, once completed, Simrock would receive the manuscript; meanwhile Simrock undertook to deposit with Franz Brentano, who would hold them, 900 Gulden which would be transferred to Beethoven as soon as the work was finished.
But in 1821, the Mass still unfinished, Beethoven persuaded Brentano to pay him, out of his own pocket, the entire sum deposited. Meanwhile the Master had begun other negotiations with the firm of Peters in Leipzig, agreeing on a fee of 1000 Gulden. And at the same time, in a letter of 13 September 1822 to Simrock [K.1037] and Brentano [K.1036], he insisted on obtaining an increase in his fee, threatening that otherwise he would give the Missa to others. Brentano, though a friend of Beethoven, sided with Simrock, insisting that Beethoven respect the contract or return the advance. The composer sold one of his bank bonds to meet this obligation (there were eight, and at the time of his death only seven remained), but only part of the sum was returned to Brentano.
Despite this, the friendship with the Brentanos did not seem entirely compromised. But Simrock thereafter did not publish the Missa nor any other work of Beethoven in first edition. The gestation of the Missa was still long, and Beethoven still had time to negotiate with other publishers—Artaria, Schlesinger, Probst, Peters, Diabelli—and to launch the famous subscription among princes, aristocrats, and musicians, before finally selling it to Schott of Mainz, who published it in 1825.
When a composition was finished, Beethoven’s chief concern was to find a publisher. … His livelihood also depended on being able to sell his music, even though he received subsidies from aristocrats. At that time what a composer could expect from the sale of one of his works was a single, one‑time payment. There were no copyright laws nor international rights. In any given country a publisher remained the owner of the works he had purchased, but abroad they could be freely copied. For this reason Beethoven compared the offers of various publishers and succeeded in having a certain number of his compositions published, almost simultaneously, by two or more publishing houses in different countries, thereby obtaining two or more payments. Kerman and Tyson [a]
Beethoven did not consider worthy of entering his catalogue a great many works—about 200—and to these he assigned no opus number. If many belong to the youthful years in Bonn, many others date from the years of maturity. Without opus number remained, for example, the folk songs arranged for Thomson. If many deserve the title of minor works—numerous short canons, easy variations, etc.—several, such as certain Lieder, are small masterpieces. A catalogue of these works has been compiled: they are listed under the siglum WoO followed by a number, where WoO means Werke ohne Opuszahl, that is, works without opus number. Alongside this there is another group of about fifty minor works gathered in the catalogue known as the Hess Catalogue.
Artaria & Co. Family of Italian publishers, originally from Blevio (Como), which divided into two branches, one of which carried out its activity in Vienna where, around 1770, the cousins Carlo (1747–1808) and Francesco (1744–1808) opened the Artaria music publishing house. Under their direction the firm undertook an extensive activity, publishing a great number of works by Haydn (about 300), Mozart, Stamitz, Cannabich, and naturally by Beethoven. Beethoven’s works were handled in particular by Domenico (1775–1842), son of Francesco. Other Italians also worked in the firm, among them Boldrini, Giovanni Cappi, and Tranquillo Mollo who, having begun as “shop boys,” became co‑owners on 15 October 1793. Another Artaria, Matthias (1770–1835), who lived in Mannheim, moved to Vienna in 1817 and opened his own independent publishing house in 1822, which published—only after Beethoven’s death—Opp. 130, 133, and 134.
Naturally there were also quarrels and disputes with the Artarias, so much so that in a letter of 13 November 1802 to Breitkopf, Beethoven calls them “those rascals of Artaria,” since, according to him, they had produced an unauthorized edition of the Quintet Op. 29, dedicated to Count Fries and for whose printing Beethoven was negotiating with Breitkopf & Härtel. The pirated edition, however, bears on the title page the inscription “A Vienne chez T. Mollo,” because, as Beethoven writes in the same letter, “Mollo and Artaria in fact constitute a single firm, that is to say an entire family of scoundrels” (and indeed, from 20 October 1801, Domenico Artaria had become a partner in the firm founded by Mollo in April 1798 after he had left the parent house Artaria. See: Mollo Tranquillo).
Very few letters between Beethoven and the Artarias have survived despite the large number of works published by them, and usually they are notes concerning small matters, such as the delivery of copies of works to someone. This is probably because their relations, given that they lived in the same city, were generally settled through direct conversations. In any case, even with them Beethoven did not lose the habit of joking, teasing, and writing blunders. For example: “the next work will be destined for you if you behave as you should!!! (signum exclamationis). May the devil take you, God protect you” [E.1344]; “Most excellent virtuosi without cojones [in Italian]” [E.1337]; “the title [of Op. 106] is good and may be sent to Guttenbrun [for Gutenbrunn], to Othaheite [for Tahiti], Calcutta, Pondichieri [for Pondicherry].” Of letters dealing with fees only one has survived, that of 22 August 1822 [A.1093], in which Beethoven asks 1000 Gulden for the Missa Solemnis, saying that he had already received a similar offer from others.
First editions by Artaria & Co.: 1795 Three Piano Trios Op. 1 1796 Three Piano Sonatas Op. 2 1796 String Trio Op. 3 1796 String Quintet Op. 4 1797 Two Sonatas for Cello and Piano Op. 5 1797 Sonata for Piano Four Hands Op. 6
1797 Piano Sonata Op. 7 1797 Serenade for String Trio Op. 8 1797–1802 Rondo for Piano Op. 51 1797 Lied “Adelaide” Op. 46 1799 Three Sonatas for Violin and Piano Op. 12 1802 The Creatures of Prometheus, arrangement for piano Op. 43 1803 Six Lieder Op. 48
1806 Wind Trio Op. 87
1814 Fidelio Op. 72 — 1814 version 1819 String Quintet Op. 104 1819 Six Variations for Piano Op. 105 1819 Piano Sonata Op. 106
1830 Wind Octet Op. 103
1793 Variations for Violin and Piano WoO 40 1795 Twelve Minuets WoO 7 1795 Twelve German Dances WoO 8 1796 Six Minuets WoO 10 1797 Seven Ländler 1802 Six Ländler 1797 Twelve Variations for Cello and Piano WoO 45 1796 Twelve Variations for Piano WoO 68 1797 Twelve Variations for Piano WoO 71 1799 Ten Variations for Piano WoO 73 1797 Lied “Abschiedsgesang an Wiens Bürger” WoO 121 1797 Lied “Kriegslied der Österreicher” WoO 122 1810 Lied “Der Jüngling in der Fremde” WoO 138 1810 Lied “Der Liebende” WoO 139 1816 Lied “Sehnsucht” WoO 146
First editions by Matthias Artaria
1827 String Quartet Op. 130 1827 Große Fuge for String Quartet Op. 133 1827 Große Fuge for Piano Four Hands Op. 134
Bossler H. P.
He was a publisher in Speyer who also issued almanacs such as Blumenlese für Liebhaber, Neue Blumenlese für Klavierliebhaber, and the musical periodical Musikalische Correspondenz, which reported news on the musical life of the time.
1783 Three Sonatas “Kurfürstensonaten” WoO 47 1783 Lied “Schilderung eines Mädchens” WoO 107 In: Neue Blumenlese 1783 Lied “An einem Säugling” WoO 108 In: Neue Blumenlese 1784 Two Rondos for Piano WoO 48 and WoO 49
Breitkopf & Härtel
This music publishing house was founded by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf (1695–1777). Born in Clausthal, he moved to Leipzig and, thanks to a fortunate marriage, in 1719 came into possession of a printing shop which he rapidly expanded. But it was his son Johann Gottlob Immanuel (1719–1794) who brought about the decisive development of the firm. He discovered the method of printing, by means of movable type, maps, music, and the Chinese language. In the end he gathered the punches for more than four hundred alphabets of all the languages of the world. For this reason he developed the musical branch, publishing works by Hiller, C. P. E. Bach, Stamitz, Telemann, and later also by Beethoven.
The eldest son soon left the firm in the hands of Christoph Härtel (1763–1827), and it thus became Breitkopf & Härtel. Beethoven’s correspondence with the firm, located in Leipzig, was at times downright tumultuous. Several dozen letters have survived (many, however, written by his brother Carl Caspar), generally very balanced in tone, but filled with a whirl of discussions about costs; fees; the easier profits for those who reprinted works already issued by others; information on printing quality and errors; agreements, disagreements, and frictions with other publishers; technical problems such as the transcription of an original work for different instruments; publication schedules; the value of currency and devaluation; the continual rise in postal costs; “pirate” editions—sometimes even favoured by Beethoven himself—and his warnings not to reprint his works; the prices for attending a concert of Beethoven’s works, criticized as too high; incompetent reviewers (and let us not forget that the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung was published by Breitkopf & Härtel).
A mass of information that would suffice on its own to write a book on the history of music publishing at the beginning of the 1800s, on the editions of Beethoven’s works, and on the character of their author.
1802 String Quintet Op. 29 1803 Six Variations for Piano Op. 34 1803 Fifteen Variations for Piano Op. 35 1806 Fidelio Op. 72 — 1806 version 1809 Fifth Symphony Op. 67 1809 Sixth Symphony Op. 68 1809 Sonata for Cello and Piano Op. 69 1809 Two Piano Trios Op. 70 1810 Wind Sextet Op. 71 1810 Piano Concerto No. 5 Op. 73 1810 String Quartet Op. 74 1810 Six Lieder Op. 75 1810 Six Variations for Piano Op. 76 1810 Fantasia Op. 77 1810 Piano Sonata Op. 78 1810 Piano Sonata Op. 79 1810 Egmont, incidental music Op. 84 1811 Fantasia for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra Op. 80 1811 Piano Sonata Op. 81a 1811 Four Ariettas and One Duet Op. 82 1811 Three Lieder Op. 83 1811 Oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives Op. 85 1812 Mass in C major Op. 86
1809 Lied “Als die Geliebte sich trennen wollte” WoO 132 1810 Lied “Andenken” WoO 137 1810 Lied “Lied aus der Ferne” WoO 137
Broderip, Wilkinson & Co.
London publishing house which issued a Lied simultaneously with a Viennese publisher. Only one printed copy has survived, the London one.
1799 Canzonetta “La Tiranna” WoO 125
Bureau d’Arts et d’Industrie. Publishing house founded in 1801 by Joseph Schreyvogel (1768–1832) and Jakob Hohler. Joseph Sonnleithner was also a partner. Schreyvogel, a Viennese, was a fairly prolific and rather well‑known writer, known under the pseudonyms Thomas West and Karl August West. He served as secretary of the Court Theatres from 1802 to 1804. The publishing house had its headquarters at Kohlmarkt no. 269 and was very active until 1811, when, following the Austrian financial crisis, its activity was considerably reduced. In 1823 it was taken over by S. A. Steiner.
802 String Quartet in F major (from the Piano Sonata Op. 14 No. 1) 1802 Piano Sonata Op. 28 1803 Three Sonatas for Violin and Piano Op. 30 1803 Seven Bagatelles for Piano Op. 33 1804 Second Symphony Op. 36 1804 Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 37 1804 Three Marches for Piano Four Hands Op. 45 1805 Two Piano Sonatas Op. 49 1805 Romance for Violin and Orchestra Op. 50 1805 Piano Trio Op. 38 1805 Eight Lieder Op. 52 1805 Lied “An die Hoffnung” Op. 32 1805 Piano Sonata Op. 53 1806 Piano Sonata Op. 54 1806 Third Symphony Op. 55 1807 Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin, Cello and Orchestra Op. 56 1807 Piano Sonata Op. 57 1808 Piano Concerto No. 4 Op. 58 1808 Three String Quartets Op. 59
1808 Fourth Symphony Op. 60 1808 Violin Concerto Op. 61 1808 Overture “Coriolan” Op. 62
1804 Seven Variations for Piano WoO 78 1804 Five Variations for Piano WoO 79 1804 Lied “Der Wachtelschlag” WoO 129 1805 Minuet for Piano WoO 82 1805 Allegretto for Piano, “Praeludium” WoO 55 1805 Andante favori for Piano WoO 57 1805 Six Variations for Piano Four Hands WoO 74 1807 Thirty‑two Variations for Piano WoO 80 1810 Lied “Sehnsucht” WoO 134
Giovanni Cappi
After working as an employee of Artaria, he was co‑owner of the firm until 16 May 1801. He then founded his own publishing house, for which he obtained the licence only on 27 September 1801. Although Italian, he was known as Johann, and his firm signed itself “chez Jean Cappi Vienne”. Although he published important works by Beethoven, his name appears more frequently because it is curiously linked to the printing of an engraving of Beethoven’s portrait, based on a now‑lost drawing by Gandolf Ernst Stainhauser von Treuberg (1766–1805), engraved by Johann Joseph Neidl (1776–1832) in 1801 (and on which Karl Traugott Riedl later based another engraving for Hoffmeister).
Hoffmeister, in August 1801, procured a copy of Neidl’s engraving—printed by Cappi in the autumn and not yet on sale—and sent it to his partner Kühnel in Leipzig so that he might reprint it immediately, “omitting the signatures of the draughtsman and the engraver and also having a new frame made so that the copy will appear different from the original, taking care, however, that the portrait faces in the same direction.” Naturally Hoffmeister and Kühnel sold it through their Bureau de Musique.
The Beethovens, for their part, did not trust him greatly: in a letter of February 1805 [E.212] Kaspar Karl wrote to Breitkopf concerning the Third Symphony: “Do not delay with the reductions, for you will see that Mr Cappi, once the symphony has appeared, will want to get his hands on it.”
1802 Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola Op. 25 1802 Piano Sonata Op. 26 1802 Two Piano Sonatas Op. 27
Cappi & Diabelli
Pietro Cappi, nephew of Giovanni Cappi, founded a publishing house in 1816, located in the Graben. In 1818 Diabelli joined him and the firm became Cappi & Diabelli. The first mention found in Thayer’s monumental biography regarding Beethoven’s relations with this firm does not concern a work of the Master but Franz Schubert’s Variations on a French Song for Piano Four Hands (1822), which were dedicated to Beethoven.
1823 Thirty‑three Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli Op. 120
Cappi & Czerny
1827 Marsch zur grossen Wachtparade WoO 24
Joseph Eder
In June 1795 he launched a subscription for the publication of the Sonatas Op. 10, announced in the Wiener Zeitung of 5 June. He also published the “Pathétique” Sonata in 1799, which was then published again, in December of the same year, by Hoffmeister.
1798 Three Sonatas Op. 10 1799 “Pathétique” Sonata Op. 13
C. Gerold
He published in Vienna the almanac Musen Almanach für das Jahr, in which, at the end of 1813, a Lied by Beethoven appeared as a musical appendix.
1813 Lied “Der Bardengeist” WoO 142
Götz
He deserves a special place in history because he was the first publisher to issue, in Mannheim in 1782, a composition by Beethoven as a child.
1782 Nine Variations for Piano on a March by Dressler WoO 63 1791 Seven Variations for Piano WoO 65
Tobias Haslinger (1787–1842)
(See Chapter 4.) Having become sole owner of the Steiner firm after Steiner retired in 1826, he published several works by Beethoven. We can still today have an idea of the elegant shop in the Paternostergasse thanks to a watercolour by F. Weigl. He was bound to Beethoven by an affectionate friendship, and Beethoven often asked him for help and advice, especially regarding the problems posed by his nephew Karl.
In the many letters Beethoven wrote to Tobias—full of jokes and wordplay—a confidential tone prevails. Beethoven affectionately called him l’Aiutantino and addressed him, for example, as: “Most excellent friend, very – very – very splendid, most splendid friend! First and freshest horse!” [A.1117], or “Most excellent North American dealer in notes.”
In a very curious letter of 10 September 1821 [A.1036], he tells Haslinger that he dreamt of him while returning by carriage from Baden to Vienna; in the dream the Tobias of the sacred books came to mind and “naturally,” he writes, “our little Tobiuccio with his pertobiare must also have crossed my mind … and a canon came to me” on the words “O Tobias, o Tobias dominus Haslinger” [WoO 182]. Other canons are dedicated to Tobias, among them the canon “Erster aller Tobiasse, Erster aller Tobiasse”, Beethoven’s last, dated 13 October 1826 from Gneixendorf [WoO 205k]. Beethoven also wrote a humorous biographical sketch of Tobias, who remained particularly close to him until the end.
Despite all this, Haslinger published only two works during Beethoven’s lifetime. After his death he issued, in 1837, the cantata Der glorreiche Augenblick Op. 136 and the overture Leonora No. 1 Op. 138 in 1838.
1826 Elegischer Gesang Op. 118 1827 Fugue for String Quintet Op. 137
Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754–1812)
Born in Rothenburg, he studied law and music. Having abandoned law, he moved to Vienna, where he was active as composer and bookseller. He composed many operas; symphonies; serenades; dozens of trios, quartets, quintets with piano, with wind instruments, and for strings alone; concertos for solo instruments and orchestra; piano music. From 1784 to 1800 he was a dealer and publisher in Vienna; in 1800 he settled in Leipzig where, together with A. Kühnel, he founded the publishing house Bureau de Musique. But in 1805 he left the firm, which remained in Kühnel’s hands and, upon Kühnel’s death in 1813, became the Peters firm (see C. F. Peters).
Hoffmeister & Co., Vienna
1802 Piano Sonata Op. 22
Hoffmeister & Kühnel, Leipzig, Bureau de Musique
1801 Piano Concerto Op. 19 No. 2 1801 Symphony No. 1 Op. 21 1802 Septet Op. 20 1802 Romance for Violin Op. 40 1803 Preludes Op. 39 1803 Serenade Op. 41 1804 Notturno Op. 42 1805 Ah, perfido! Op. 65 1804 The Creatures of Prometheus Op. 43 (overture) 1804 Variations for Piano Op. 44
H. Löschenkohl
Viennese publisher.
1803 Lied “Das Glück der Freundschaft” Op. 88
Maisch L.
Viennese publisher.
1814 Six German Dances for Violin and Piano WoO 42
Pietro Mechetti (1775–1850)
He was one of the many Italians who had moved to Vienna, interested in art and music. In 1811 he succeeded his uncle Carlo in the activity of art dealer and music publisher.
1815 Polacca for Piano Op. 89 1815 Lied “Des Kriegers Abschied” WoO 143
Tranquillo Mollo (1767–1837)
He entered the Artaria publishing house in Vienna in 1792 as an employee, but on 15 October 1793 he became a partner. On 1 April 1798 he founded, together with Franz Bernardini, his own publishing house, called Mollo & Co., to which Domenico Artaria also adhered as partner on 20 October 1801 (Domenico was the son of Francesco, who had founded Artaria & Co. with Carlo, and who at Artaria & Co. handled Beethoven’s editions).
But from 1 September 1802 Carlo Artaria, one of the two cousins who had founded Artaria & Co., had ceded his firm, in equal parts, to Mollo and to Domenico Artaria. There were therefore two firms, with the same owners, with separate accounting but sharing the same premises. On 20 October 1804 Mollo and Artaria separated.
1798 Piano Trio Op. 11 1799 Two Piano Sonatas Op. 14 1801 Piano Concerto Op. 15 No. 1 1801 Piano Quintet Op. 16 1801 Horn Sonata Op. 17 1801 Six String Quartets Op. 18 1801 Violin Sonata Op. 23 1801 Violin Sonata Op. 24
1799 Seven Variations for Piano WoO 75 1801 Lied “In questa tomba oscura” WoO 133 1802 Twelve Contredanses WoO 14 1802 Seven Variations for Cello and Piano WoO 46
Karl Friedrich Müller
He must not be confused with his namesake, also named Karl Friedrich (1796–1845), a Dutch pianist, composer, and music teacher. The one who appears among the publishers of Beethoven’s works was not a publisher at all, but a Viennese stage actor who was forced to abandon the theatre due to illness. He published, at his own expense, works by various composers whom he had asked for help. Beethoven offered him two waltzes and a Scottish dance for piano.
1824 Waltz for Piano WoO 84 1825 Waltz for Piano WoO 85 1825 Scottish Dance for Piano WoO 86
Hans Georg Nägeli (1773–1836)
A Swiss from the canton of Zurich, he was a pedagogue, writer, composer, and music publisher. His publishing house was based in Zurich. From 1801 he had issued a series entitled “Musical Masterworks in the Severe Style” and another of modern music, “Répertoire des clavécinistes”, and for the latter he had probably asked Beethoven for a contribution.
He was the cause of great irritation for Beethoven, due to the many printing errors and because he had taken the liberty of adding several measures to one of the Sonatas Op. 31. He was also responsible for considerable confusion in the numbering of Beethoven’s works (see: The Piano Sonatas).
1803 Two Piano Sonatas Op. 31 Nos. 1 and 2 1804 Piano Sonata Op. 31 No. 3
Carl Friedrich Peters (1779–1827)
In 1813, after the death of A. Kühnel, he took over his publishing house, beginning the activity of the historic Peters firm, still active today. He directed it until his death. He had no direct heirs, but his successors preserved the imprint. He was in negotiations with Beethoven who, in a letter of 5 June 1822 [A.1079], listed for him a large number of works he could have ceded, beginning with the Missa Solemnis Op. 123. But Peters did not publish any work by Beethoven during the composer’s lifetime.
Ignaz Joseph Pleyel (1757–1831)
Born in Austria, he was a composer, music publisher, and piano manufacturer. He travelled widely in Europe: he lived intermittently in Vienna, in Italy, and finally settled in Paris in 1795, where he founded a publishing house and, in 1807, the piano factory that under his name became one of the most important in Europe. He died in Paris. He wrote operas, 58 symphonies, and much chamber music.
In Vienna, in 1805, together with his son Camille, he met Beethoven. Beethoven wrote a very affectionate letter to Camille in 1807 [A.140]. At the same time Beethoven proposed to Pleyel the publication of six of his works, but nothing came of it.
Adolf Martin Schlesinger (1769–1839)
A Berlin bookseller who in 1810 founded a music publishing house. At his death he was succeeded by his son, who continued the activity until 1865. He founded the Berliner Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung, which had great importance for European musical life, thanks also to its director A. B. Marx.
1821 Piano Sonata Op. 109 1822 Piano Sonata Op. 110 1823 Piano Sonata Op. 111
Moritz Schlesinger
Eldest son of Adolf Martin, he founded his own publishing house in Paris in July 1821. Two years earlier he had met Beethoven during a visit to Mödling.
1827 String Quartet Op. 132 1827 String Quartet Op. 135
Bernhard Schott (1759–1817)
Founder of the Mainz publishing house. At his death his sons Andreas (1781–1840) and Johann Joseph (1782–1835) continued the activity, which then continued into the 1900s.
1825 Cantata “Opferlied” Op. 121b 1825 Cantata “Bundeslied” Op. 122 1825 Missa Solemnis Op. 123 1825 Overture “Die Weihe des Hauses” Op. 124 1825 Six Bagatelles Op. 126 1825 String Quartet Op. 127 1825 Lied “Der Kuss” Op. 128 1826 Ninth Symphony Op. 125 1827 String Quartet Op. 131
Canon “Hoffmann, sei ja kein Hoffmann” WoO 180 1825 Canon “Schwenke dich ohne Schwänke” WoO 187
Nikolaus Simrock (1752–1833). Of Bohemian origin, he lived in Bonn, where he played the horn in the Elector’s orchestra and where he met Beethoven. He engaged in the book trade and in 1793 founded his own publishing house in Bonn. He initially published some of Beethoven’s youthful works, and during the Master’s maturity several highly important compositions.
1805 Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 47 1810 Sextet for Strings and Horns Op. 81b 1817 Sonatas for Cello and Piano Op. 102
1820 Variations for Piano Op. 107
1793 Thirteen Variations on a Theme by D. von Dittersdorf WoO 66
Eight Variations on a Theme by Count Waldstein WoO 67, for Piano Four Hands
1798 Six Variations for Harp on a Swiss Lied WoO 64
1808 Lied “Der freie Mann” WoO 117 1808 Lied “Opferlied” WoO 126 1808 Rondo for Violin and Piano WoO 41 1814 Lied “An die Geliebte” WoO 140
1817 Lied “Das Geheimnis” WoO 145
1817 Lied “So oder so” WoO 148
Friedrich Starke (1774–1835).
He published in 1821 the Wiener Pianoforteschule, in which some of the Bagatelles Op. 119 appeared for the first time (see: Friends, etc.).
1821 Bagatelles Op. 119, Nos. 7–11
Sigmund Anton Steiner (1773–1838).
From 1804 he worked as printer‑publisher in a small workshop. After the arrival of Tobias Haslinger, who became his partner in 1816, the firm grew into an important music publishing house with which Beethoven maintained close relations for over ten years. A substantial correspondence between the firm and Beethoven has survived. In the letters, nicknames are used to refer to the various members of the firm and to Beethoven himself. Beethoven was the Generalissimo, Steiner the Lieutenant General, Haslinger the Adjutant, Diabelli was called Diabolus and Grand Jailer (at the time he was only the proofreader!). The offices were called the Headquarters, and in case of poor work the responsible party was threatened by Beethoven with being brought before a court martial.
The firm’s shop in the Paternostergasse was for years a meeting place for musicians and Beethoven’s friends. In 1823 the firm received further impetus when it absorbed the Bureau des Arts et d’Industrie. From 1826 Haslinger remained sole owner, and at his death in 1842 his son Karl became director.
1815 Piano Sonata Op. 90 1816 Wellington’s Victory Op. 91 1816 Seventh Symphony Op. 92 1817 Eighth Symphony Op. 93 1816 Lied “An die Hoffnung” Op. 94 1816 String Quartet Op. 95 1816 Violin Sonata Op. 96 1816 Six Lieder “An die ferne Geliebte” Op. 98 1816 Lied “Der Mann von Wort” Op. 99
1816 Wellington’s Victory, or the Battle of Vittoria Op. 91 1816 Lied “Merkenstein” Op. 100 1817 Piano Sonata Op. 101 1822 Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt Op. 112 1823 Overture “Die Ruinen von Athen” Op. 113 1826 March and Chorus “Die Weihe des Hauses” Op. 114 1825 Overture “Zur Namensfeier” Op. 115 1826 Terzetto “Tremate, empi, tremate” Op. 116 1826 Overture “König Stephan” Op. 117 1824 Variations “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu” Op. 121a, for Piano Trio
1815 Aria “Es ist vollbracht” WoO 97
Anton Strauss.
(See Chapter 4.) Viennese printer; he published Ein Almanach für Freunde.
1815 Lied “Merkenstein” WoO 144 1823 Canon “Edel sei der Mensch” WoO 185
Johann Baptist Adalbert Traeg (1781–1839).
Viennese music dealer and publisher.
1798 Three String Trios Op. 9 1798 Twelve Variations for Piano and Cello Op. 66
1795 Nine Variations for Piano WoO 69 1796 Six Variations for Piano WoO 70 1798 Eight Variations for Piano WoO 72 1800 Six Variations for Piano WoO 77 1803 Six Scottish Dances for Piano WoO 83
Johann Baptist Wallishausser (1790–1831).
His father, of the same name (1764–1810), bookseller, printer and publisher, had founded the firm, later directed by the son. Many dramas and comedies by Austrian playwrights were published by his house, as well as the works of Grillparzer. He also published a famous literary notebook, Aglaja, to which many Austrian poets contributed. Only one letter from Beethoven to him survives, in which the Master cannot refrain from his usual wordplay [E.1521]: “I send my greetings to the two gentlemen Vallis and Hauser, as well as to the gentlemen Hauser and Vallis …”.
1817 Lied “Ruf vom Berge” WoO 147
Beethoven in England
In England Beethoven became known, and his works were performed, already in the early years of the nineteenth century. Before 1810 several publishers disseminated his works mainly through re‑engraving of scores printed on the continent, although one of his Lieder was published in first edition in London in 1799.
Later, a number of Beethoven’s works were published in first edition by English publishers, or by firms whose main offices were in London or Edinburgh. Sometimes these were works commissioned directly from Beethoven, as happened with Opp. 77, 78 and 79 for Clementi, who had his publishing house in London, or with the numerous arrangements of Welsh, Irish and Scottish folk songs for Thomson.
Thus, in some cases the first edition of a work appeared in London; in others the same work appeared simultaneously, or within a very short interval, with a continental and an English publisher, as happened for Op. 47, published in 1805 by Simrock in Bonn and by Birchall in London.
Robert Birchall.
He had a well‑known music publishing house in London and was also very active in concert organisation. Relations with Beethoven were conducted through Johann Peter Salomon (1745–1815), who was from Bonn but had moved to London in 1781, where he played a leading role in musical life. Thanks to Salomon’s involvement, Birchall purchased and published Wellington’s Victory Op. 91 and the piano reduction of the Seventh Symphony Op. 92.
Published simultaneously with Viennese publishers: 1816 Violin Sonata Op. 96 1816 Piano Trio “Archduke” Op. 97
Broderip & Wilkinson.
1799 Lied “La tiranna” WoO 125
Chappell & Co.
In 1824 it published, simultaneously with Steiner, the Variations for Piano Trio Op. 121a “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu”.
Clementi & Co.
Many of Beethoven’s works were published in London by Clementi & Co., sometimes after having already appeared in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and France: Piano Sonata Op. 31 No. 3; String Quartets Op. 59; Violin Concerto Op. 61, also in the piano reduction; Six Variations for Piano Op. 76; Choral Fantasia for Piano and Orchestra Op. 80; Piano Sonata Op. 81a; Four Arias and One Duet Op. 82; Piano Sonata Op. 110; Piano Sonata Op. 111.
Clementi, however, published in first edition several works, some of them written on his commission:
1810 Piano Concerto No. 5 Op. 73 1810 Fantasia for Piano Op. 77 1810 Piano Sonata Op. 78 1810 Piano Sonata Op. 79 1823 Eleven Bagatelles for Piano Op. 119 (first complete edition)
Other works were published simultaneously with other publishers:
1810 String Quartet Op. 74 1810 Six Lieder Op. 75 1810 Lied “Andenken” WoO 136 1810 Lied “Lied aus der Ferne” WoO 137 1810 Lied “Der Liebende” WoO 139 1811 Four Ariettas and One Duet Op. 82
J. Dale
He republished the Seven Bagatelles for Piano Op. 33, already issued in Vienna by the Bureau d’Arts et d’Industrie in 1803.
Regent Harmonic Institution
It republished the Piano Sonata Op. 106, which had appeared in Vienna with Artaria in 1819.
G. Thomson
The Edinburgh publisher Thomson asked Beethoven in 1809 to arrange English folk songs and themes. From this request arose a collaboration that continued for years and led Beethoven to arrange about 179 songs, some of which were published during the composer’s lifetime precisely by Thomson.
1818 25 Scottish Songs Op. 108
25 Irish Songs WoO 152
1814–1816 20 Irish Songs WoO 153 1816 12 Irish Songs WoO 154
25 Scottish Songs WoO 155
1822–1841 12 Scottish Songs WoO 156 1816–1839 12 Popular Songs WoO 157
1819 Six Variations for Piano Op. 105 1819 Ten Variations for Piano Op. 107
1814 25 Irish Songs WoO 152 1814–1816 20 Irish Songs WoO 153 1816 12 Irish Songs WoO 154 1817 26 Welsh Songs WoO 155 1822–1824 12 Scottish Songs WoO 156 1816 12 Popular Songs WoO 157
Cataloghi fondamentali della produzione beethoveniana
The following catalogues must be mentioned for the importance of their contribution to the knowledge of Beethoven’s output:
- G. Nottebohm, Thematisches Verzeichnis der im Druck erschienenen Werke von Ludwig van Beethoven, Leipzig 1868, listing the works numbered Op. 1 to Op. 138.
- G. Grove, catalogue published in George Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1910), which after Op. 138 adds numbers 139–256. In the last edition of 1954 the works are grouped by instrumental and vocal categories.
- A. W. Thayer, Chronologisches Verzeichnis der Werke Ludwig van Beethoven’s, Berlin 1865, listing 291 works. Naturally it does not include works that came to light after 1865, but it records many pieces omitted by later cataloguers because they were mostly sketches or drafts.
- A. Bruers, Beethoven. Catalogo storico‑critico di tutte le opere, Rome 1940, which after Op. 138 repeats Grove’s list up to 256 and extends it to number 317 (under no. 317 are gathered many works partly listed by Thayer and omitted by later compilers).
- Ludwig van Beethovens Werke, the complete critical edition published by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, initially in 25 volumes (1862–1865, 1888), the first Beethoven catalogue in history; later reprinted with supplements (1959–1971).
- G. Biamonti, Catalogo cronologico e tematico delle opere di Beethoven, Turin 1968, which gathers all complete works (published or not) and all fragments, sketches, exercises, musical jottings found in letters, notebooks, conversation books, etc., for a total of 849 numbers. Three appendices follow:
- I. Works and sketches without determined date (11 numbers).
- II. Works erroneously attributed to Beethoven, of doubtful authenticity or unproven existence (72 numbers).
- III. Projects for theatrical works, cantatas, oratorios, etc. (49 numbers).
The works not included among the 138 of the official catalogue have been gathered into a corpus called Werke ohne Opuszahl (“Works without opus number”), abbreviated WoO, followed by a catalogue number. These 205 works are not arranged in chronological order: WoO 1 is the Musik zu einem Ritterballett (Music for a Knightly Ballet), composed in 1790–1791, whereas what is considered Beethoven’s first work, written at age twelve—the Variations for Piano on a March by Dressler—is listed as WoO 63.