Schott frères was a Belgian sheet music publishing house that operated between 1823 and 2006.
History
The company was founded in 1823 in Antwerp as the Belgian branch of B. Schott's Söhne (today: Schott Music). It was established by two of Bernhard Schott'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 and moved it the company to Brussels around 1839.
Schott frères was one of several European music publishing firms bearing the name Schott, all of which were originally subsidiaries of B. Schott's Söhne, including locations in Paris (1826–9, 1861–92), London (from 1835), and Sydney (1885–9). Of these, only Schott frères operated independently from the German parent company from 1889 to 2006. However, they always had their own publishing programmes, operating with a large degree of commercial independence, and ensuring the distribution of works from the other locations.
Peter ("Pierre") Schott (1857–1894) inherited the publishing business of Brussels and Paris while a minor. On 5 April 1879, two granddaughters of Bernhard Schott who had been managing the Brussels and Paris houses, created the brand name "Schott frères". On 11 November 1886, the granddaughters appointed Peter Schott as sole director;[2] On 30 September 1888, Schott frères was liquidated, with Peter Schott serving as liquidator. In 1889, he conveyed the exclusive rights of Schott frères to Otto Junne (1854–1935), a non-family managing partner.[3] The Paris house published under the name "Éditions Schott". Jean-Jacques Junne (1924–2012), Otto's grandson, had been managing director.[4] He was a jazz saxophonist and band leader known as Jacky June.[5]
In 2006, Schott frères was re-acquired by Schott and absorbed into the Schott Music Group. The shop had been domiciled at Ravensteinstraat and was subsequently closed.
Time line of Schott companies
Selected plate numbers of music published by Schott frères
Schott frères and its Brussels predecessor, B. Schott's Söhne, played a critical role in defining a Belgian identity in music – 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.
Elf ungedruckte Briefe Liszts an Schott, edited by Edgar Istel [de], Die Musik, Vol. 3 (1905–1906), pp. 43–52 OCLC1696908
Zur Geschichte des Privilegium exclusivum des Mainzer Musikstechers Bernhard Schott, by Benno Ziegler in Festschrift für Georg Leidinger [de], edited by Albert Hartmann (1885–1973) Munich: H. Schmidt (1930),pp. 293–305 OCLC731466159
Die Musikpflege am Hofe der Kurfürsten von Mainz im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert by Karl Schweickert, Mainz: Commissioned by L. Wilckens (1937) OCLC4364575
Richard Wagner als Verlagsgefährte, by Ludwig Anderson, pseudonym of Ludwig Strecker Jr. (1883–1978) (Mainz, 1951) OCLC2567318
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) OCLC219228708
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 OCLC72339269
^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 ISSN0822-7594
^Dictionnaire de Musique (in French), by Hugo Riemann, Fourth Edition, edited by Georges Humbert, Paris: Perrin et Cie, Libraires-Èditeurs (1899) OCLC77452525
