Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag (abbreviated to Hofmeister) is a publisher of classical music, founded by Friedrich Hofmeister in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

in 1807. Early listings included composers

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...

and

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

. Hofmeister was the first to publish Mahler's Second Symphony. Pedagogical works, such as a Violinenschule of Hubert Ries (1841), are still in use. The company sells sheet music internationally, including Asia and America.

History

Friedrich Hofmeister, born in 1787, first founded a music store in Leipzig in April, 1807. Early listings include composers

Luigi Cherubini Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini ( ; ; 8 or 14 SeptemberWillis, in Sadie (Ed.), p. 833 1760 – 15 March 1842) was an Italian Classical and Romantic composer. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethov ...

Franz Anton Hoffmeister Franz Anton Hoffmeister (12 May 1754 – 9 February 1812) was a German and Austrian composer and music publisher. Early years Franz Anton Hoffmeister was born in Rottenburg am Neckar, Further Austria, on 12 May 1754. At the age of fourteen ...

Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and Music criticism, critic in the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Best known for List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, h ...

Johann Nepomuk Hummel Johann Nepomuk Hummel (14 November 177817 October 1837) was an Austrian composer and pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era. He was a pupil of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri, and ...

John Field John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

and

. In the early years, he published a balance of music by popular composers, pedagogical material, and young composers such as

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

, Chopin, Clara Wieck-Schumann and

Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

. Pedagogical volumes included a Gitarrenschule (guitar) by Johann Traugott Lehmann (1811); the Violinenschule (violin) of Hubert Ries (1841) is still in use, and several volumes of etudes published in the 19th century. Hofmeister's early publishing practices sometimes brought him into conflict with composers. In 1833 Berlioz objected to publication by Hofmeister of an unauthorized four-handed piano version of his Franc-Juges overture, saying "your arranger has butchered my score, clipped its wings, ... and sewn it back up again such that I find a ridiculous monster..." Although Hofmeister maintained friendly as well as professional relations with Liszt for many years, in 1839 his company published a pirated edition of twelve études by Liszt, which led to later disputes with the composer. After 1847, control of the company largely devolved onto Hofmeister's two sons, Adolph Moritz Hofmeister and Wilhelm Hofmeister. Hofmeister was one of four major publishers to disseminate the music of Gustav Mahler and the first to publish Mahler's Second Symphony. Hofmeister also published several songs in the early 20th century by composer

Eugen Haile Eugen Haile (February 21, 1873 – August 14, 1933) was a German-American composer, singer, and accompanist, primarily known for his songs."Haile, Eugen." ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians''. 8th ed. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. I ...

. In the twentieth century, the company had various owners until its appropriation by

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

after World War II. It remains in operation today, with branches in Frankfurt and Leipzig. The company supports projects of regional importance, such as "Edition Denkmäler Mitteldeutscher Barockmusik". The collection of works by composers from Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt started with a Passion

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

as a

pasticcio In music, a ''pasticcio'' or ''pastiche'' is an opera or other musical work composed of works by different composers who may or may not have been working together, or an adaptation or localization of an existing work that is loose, unauthorized, ...

Altnickol Johann Christoph Altnickol, or Altnikol, (baptised 1 January 1720, buried 25 July 1759) was a German organist, bass singer, and composer. He was a student, copyist and son-in-law of Johann Sebastian Bach. Biography Altnikol was born in Berna be ...

, J. S. Bach, Graun,

Kuhnau Johann Kuhnau (; 6 April 16605 June 1722) was a German polymath, known primarily as a composer today. He was also active as a novelist, translator, lawyer, and music theorist, and was able to combine these activities with his duties in his offici ...

and

Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. He is one of the most prolific composers in history, at least in terms of surviving works. Telemann was considered by his contemporaries to be ...

in 1997, and includes

Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (13 January 1690 – 27 November 1749) was a German composer of the Baroque music, Baroque era. Biography Early life Stölzel was born in Schwarzenberg, Saxony, Grünstädtel in Saxony on 13 January 1690. His fath ...

's Christmas cantatas (2007) and the Bockes-Passion (2011). Hofmeister kept the tradition of the publishing the works of new composers, including Harald Banter,

Vytautas Barkauskas Vytautas Barkauskas (25 March 1931 – 25 April 2020) was a Lithuanian composer and Professor of Composition of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Life and career Barkauskas was born in Kaunas. He studied music at the Vilnius Con ...

, Árni Egilsson,

Elisenda Fábregas Elisenda Fábregas (born 1955 in Terrassa, Province of Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish/American composer. Biography Fábregas studied piano at the Conservatory of Barcelona until 1977. She came to the USA and studied for her bachelor's and maste ...

Christoph Förster Christoph Förster (30 November 1693 – 6 December 1745) was a German composer of the baroque period. Life Christoph Förster (spelled Johann Christoph Friedrich in his death register) was born in Bibra, Thuringia as the son of council tre ...

Bernd Franke Bernd Franke (born 12 February 1948) is a German former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Club career Also an outfield player in his youth, young Bernd Franke made his steps towards the professional game following his impressiveness in t ...

, Patrick Hagen,

Timo Jouko Herrmann Timo Jouko Herrmann (born September 22, 1978, in Heidelberg) is a German composer, musicologist and conductor. Biography Herrmann studied composition with Ulrich Leyendecker and musicology with Hermann Jung at the Hochschule für Musik und Darst ...

, Walter Thomas Heyn, René Hirschfeld, Stephan König, Ralf Kubicek,

Claus Kühnl Claus Kühnl (born in Arnstein, Lower Franconia, 17 November 1957) is a German composer and teacher. Life Kühnl is the eldest child of Gudrun Kühnl (''née'' Schmitt) from Lower Franconia and Wilhelm Kühnl who comes from the Sudetenland. H ...

, Martin Kürschner, Rainer Lischka, Rafael Lukjanik, Peter Mai,

Cecilia McDowall Cecilia McDowall (born 1951 in London, England) is a British composer, particularly known for her choral compositions. Life and career Born in London, McDowall attended Grey Coat Hospital School and read music at the University of Edinburgh, co ...

, Kelly-Marie Murphy, Gisbert Näther, Loretta K. Notareschi,

Lorenzo Palomo Lorenzo Palomo (10 March 1938 – 13 April 2024) was a Spanish composer and conductor. He was chief conductor of the Valencia Orchestra from 1973 to 1976 and conductor and pianist of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1981 to 2004. Several of his com ...

, Hannes Pohlit, Kateřina Růžičková,

Stefan Schäfer Stefan Schäfer (born 6 January 1986) is a German road and track cyclist. He competed in the individual pursuit and team pursuit event at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Major results ;2003 : National Junior Road Championships :: ...

Kurt Schwaen Kurt Schwaen (June 21, 1909 in Katowice – October 9, 2007 in Berlin) was a German composer. Professional career Schwaen studied piano, organ and composition under Fritz Lubrich. From 1929 to 1933 he studied at the universities of Berlin ...

Siegfried Thiele Siegfried Thiele (; 28March 193424November 2024) was a German composer. From 1990 to 1997, he was rector of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig where he had begun teaching in 1962. He composed an extended work for soloists, choir and or ...

, Karl Ottomar Treibmann, Siegfried Tiefensee,

Graham Waterhouse Graham Waterhouse (born 2 November 1962) is an English composer and cellist who specializes in chamber music. He has composed a cello concerto, '' Three Pieces for Solo Cello'' and '' Variations for Cello Solo'' for his own instrument, and str ...

, and

Elsa Laura Wolzogen Elsa Laura Seemann von Mangern von Wolzogen (5 August 1876 – 25 April 1945) was a German composer, lute player, and singer. She was born and grew up in Dresden, where her family owned a guesthouse which entertained well-known artists and scholar ...

References

Literature

* Anita Punkt: ''Der Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag. Sein Profil in Geschichte und Gegenwart''. dissertation.de, Berlin 2007, (''Dissertation.de'' 1404)

External links

Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag
website, history

state of

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag
muziekuitgevers.com
Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag
Music China 2010

the founder, in "The music of Gustav Mahler" {{Authority control Hofmeister Hofmeister Mass media in Leipzig German companies established in 1807 Publishing companies established in 1807