Schott Bernhard, *10 August 1748 Eltville, †26 April 1809 Heidesheim (near Mainz), German music publisher, founder of a publishing house in Mainz. He learnt music printing since he was a child from his father Nicolaus Schott (1716–1792), who was engaged in copperplate engraving and sheet music printing. Schott received his musical education in Mainz, then in 1761–62 in Mannheim with I.J. Holzbauer, F.X. Richter and J.Ch. Cannabich (basic instrument – clarinet). From 1762 to 1764, he studied printing, copperplate engraving and typecasting in Strasbourg. In 1768, he opened an engraving workshop in Mainz, then a printing house and in 1770 a publishing house. In 1769–71, he studied at the University of Mainz. From 1771 to 1773, he was a military musician in Strasbourg, in 1773, he improved his clarinet playing skills with J. Beer in Paris and obtained the title of maître de la clarinette. At that time, the publishing house in Mainz was run by his father, then his younger brother, Philipp Franz (1776–1840), a sheet music engraver and violinist who worked with the company for many years. In 1780, Schott received from the elector Friedrich Carl Joseph, Baron von Erthal, a privilegium exclusivum and the title of court music printer. In 1792–93, he built a publishing house in Mainz, which still exists today, where he also traded foreign musical items and musical instruments, stationery, and even Rhine and Burgundian wine. In 1797, he was appointed electoral titular councillor. Schott’s first editions included works by local composers, but soon also by composers of the Mannheim school and great musical centres such as Paris and Vienna. In 1799, Schott was the first publisher to use the invention of lithography. He also published music magazines: “Récolte de fleurs musicales” (1793–97) and “Eventail musical” (1798–1809).
Schott’s sons, Johann Andreas (1781–1840), Johann Joseph (1782–1855) and Adam Joseph (1794–1864), expanded the publishing house after their father’s death and named it Bernhard Schotts Söhne. Branches were established in Leipzig (1819), Antwerp (1824), Paris (1826), Brussels (1830), London (1835), Rotterdam (1853), Sydney, Melbourne and in Frankfurt am Main (1864). The most important achievement of the second generation of Schotts was the publication of L. van Beethoven’s last works: Symphony No. 9, Missa solemnis, String Quartet Op. 127 and Op. 131, and Overture in C major (Consecration of the House). Operas were also published: Tancred, William Tell by G. Rossini, Fra Diavolo by D. Auber, La fille du régiment by G. Donizetti, Postillon von Lonjumeau by A. Adam, as well as salon and virtuoso music. Together with the André and Simrock companies, the «Signais de Musique» series and the accompanying supplement Réveil-matin musical were published in 1810–14. Music magazines were published in Mainz: “Caecilia” (1824–48), “Süddeutsche Musikzeitung” and “Dermusikalische Hausfreund” (1849–69); until the mid-19th century, “Der Minnesänger” and “Der Gesellschafter” were also published; in Brussels there was “Le Diapason” and its sequel “Le guide musical, revue de nouvelles musicales” (until World War I). Together with the publisher Leroux from Brussels, the first edition of Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de lamusique by F.-J. Fétis was published in 1837. From 1855, Franz Philipp (*30 July 1811, †8 May 1874), son of Johann Andreas was the sole owner of the company. In 1859, he established contact with R. Wagner and published Der Ring des Nibelungen and Der Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Parsifal. In 1867–72, he was honorary mayor of Mainz; he bequeathed a significant sum to the city for the establishment of a municipal orchestra and donated L. van Beethoven’s letters to the Schott publishing house to the city library in Mainz. His brother Peter († 20 September 1894 Paris) merged the branch of the publishing house in Antwerp with the branch in Brussels in 1843, which in 1889 became independent from Mainz as Schott Freres.
After the death of Franz Philipp, Peter Schott became one of the directors of the publishing house then headed by Ludwig Strecker (*26 March 1853 Dieburg, †19 December 1943 Mainz), co-heir and owner, who, as the family’s senior and secret advisor until old age, had a significant influence on the company’s activities. He strengthened relations with R. Wagner, F. Liszt, P. Cornelius, E. Humperdinck and H. Wolf. In 1911, his son Ludwig Emanuel Strecker (*13 January 1883 Mainz, †15 September 1978 Wiesbaden) joined the company as a partner, and in 1920, Willa’s second son (*4 July 1884 Mainz, †1 March 1958 Frankfurt am Main) joined the company. Both brothers began to expand their publishing repertoire consistently; thanks to foreign contacts, the company has become an international centre of contemporary music. In 1946, the Ars Viva Verlag company was incorporated into the publishing house, with works by I. Stravinsky, G. Ligeti and J.-R. Françaix. In 1952, L.E. Strecker’s son-in-law, Heinz Schneider-Schott (*22 April 1906 Mainz, †22 January 1988), became a partner and director of the publishing house. In 1961, Peter W. Making became the company’s director; in 1974–77 it was headed by Arno Volk (*15 January 1914 Würzburg, †7 July 1987), and after him, H. Schneider-Schott’s son Günther Schneider-Schott (*8 April 1939 Mainz). Since 1951, the Schott publishing house, together with the EU, has had a German representative office for stage and orchestral works by A. Berg, A. Webern, A. Schoenberg and P. Boulez, and since 1972 it has been publishing source texts together with the EU. In 1957, they purchased the London publishing house E. Eulenburg Ltd., in 1971 the Wergo record company, in 1981 the London publishing house Fürstner Ltd., in 1992 the Cranz company from Wiesbaden, and in 1998 Panton International. In 1995, the publishing house was named Schott Music International GmbH & Co., L.E. Strecker’s grandson, Peter Hanser-Strecker (*14 July 1942 Monaco) became the president, and the directors were Ludolf Freiherr von Canstein (*22 July 1925, †23 October 2014) and Rolf Reisinger (*December 1949), and from 2015 Thomas Sertl (*July 1960) and Denis Martin Freiberg.
Since the beginning of its existence, Schott Publishing House has had its own printing house and an uninterrupted editorial tradition. The publishing catalogue of contemporary music is one of the richest in the world. The publishing house’s achievements include critical editions of all works by R. Wagner, A. Schoenberg and P. Hindemith, as well as works by C. Orff, H.W. Henze, L. Nono, and K. Penderecki. When it comes to published books, they include Musik-Lexikon by H. Riemann and Joseph Haydn. Thematisch-bibliographisches Werkverzeichnis by A. Hoboken, and from music magazines: “Melos” (1920–34, 1946–74), “Musik im Unterricht,” “Das Orchester” and “Das Musikleben.” The publishing house has branches in London (Schott and Co. Ltd.), New York (Schott Music Corp.) and Tokyo (Nikon Schott KK).
Literature: Der Musikverlag Bernhard Schott, Mainz 1954; Musikverlag Bernhard Schotts Söhne, Mainz 1970; Festschrift für einen Verleger. Ludwig Strecker zum 90. Geburtstag, ed. C. Dalhaus, Mainz 1973; H.-Ch. Müller Bernhard Schott, Hofmusikstecher in Mainz. Die Frühgeschichte seines Musikverlages bis 1797, Mainz 1977; Die Schott Music Group: 250 Jahre Verlagsgeschichte, red. S. Gilles-Kircher, H. Hogen, R. Mohrs, Mainz 2020.
