History Boosey & Hawkes

a drawing of euphonium manufactured boosey & co. in 1878

thomas boosey s son, named thomas (1794/1795–1871), set separate musical branch of company known t. boosey & co. and, in latter part of 19th century, boosey & company. branch imported foreign music began publishing in england works of composers such johann nepomuk hummel, saverio mercadante , gioachino rossini, , subsequently important operas bellini, donizetti , verdi. elgar , vaughan williams among later signings. company produced books: among first publications english translation of johann nikolaus forkel s book life of j.s. bach (1820). company affected house of lords decision in boosey v. jeffreys (1854) deprived english publishers of many of foreign copyrights.

boosey & company diversified manufacturing woodwind instruments in 1851, collaborating in 1856 flautist r.s. pratten (1846–1936) develop new designs flutes. firm bought on business of henry distin in 1868, allowing begin making brass instruments. among achievements acclaimed design compensating valves developed david james blaikley in 1874. company commenced production of string instruments.

the company capitalised on increasing popularity of ballad focusing publishing activities on them. promote sales, john boosey (c.1832–1893), son of thomas jr., established london ballad concerts in 1867 @ st. james s hall , later @ queen s hall when opened in 1893. clara butt, john sims reeves , charles w. clark performed @ these concerts, , successes included arthur sullivan s lost chord (1877) , stephen adams holy city . company began emphasising educational music end of 19th century.

in 1874 boosey & company moved offices @ 295 regent street, business stay next 131 years. in 1892, boosey & company opened office in new york still exists today. business owned half of regent street, , @ time of merger managed leslie boosey (1887–1979).

hawkes & son (later rivière & hawkes), rival boosey & company, founded in 1865 william henry hawkes selling orchestral sheet music. company made musical instruments , spare parts such clarinet reeds, , 1925 hawkes had set instrument factory in edgware, north london. business, particularly known brass , military band music, inherited ralph hawkes (1898–1950).

after merger

leslie boosey , ralph hawkes met in 1920s when on board of performing right society, , saw opportunity go business together. formed boosey & hawkes in october 1930 through merger of respective businesses. hawkes & son moved office in denman street join boosey staff @ 295 regent street.

russian composer igor stravinsky (1882–1971), 1 of famous composers signed boosey & hawkes.

the 1938 anschluss—the annexation of austria greater germany nazi regime—led nazification of viennese publishing house universal edition. boosey & hawkes seized opportunity sign composers béla bartók , zoltán kodály, , rescued universal s jewish staff, later played important role in developing company. 1 such employee in particular, ernst roth, facilitated signing of richard strauss , igor stravinsky, , instrumental in production of strauss s vier letzte lieder (four last songs) (1948; premièred 1950) , stravinsky s rake s progress (premièred 1951). significant figure vienna occupied editorial role composer arnold schoenberg s pupil erwin stein, , after war composer leopold spinner, pupil of anton webern, on editorial staff. stein instrumental in founding modern-music journal tempo in 1939, began boosey & hawkes own newsletter later became more independent publication.

by time world war ii broke out in 1939, boosey & hawkes had signed benjamin britten , aaron copland. ralph hawkes championed britten when still relatively unknown, against rest of board of directors, until première on 7 june 1945 of peter grimes, critical , popular success. sheet music sales soared during war, enabling boosey & hawkes buy editions russes held rights valuable works of prokofiev, rachmaninoff , stravinsky. company purchased lease of royal opera house in london in 1944, rescuing becoming permanent dance hall , providing venue world-class ballet , opera in capital.

an illustration of theatre royal, covent garden, thomas h. shepherd, published in 1827–28. became known royal opera house in 1892.

by 1950, boosey & hawkes leading international music company extensive catalogue of serious composers , offices in bonn, johannesburg, new york, paris, toronto , sydney. however, late 1940s, strains had begun appear in relationship between leslie boosey , ralph hawkes, , led factions supporting each man forming in company. discovered hawkes had borrowed capital of £100,000 during war without permission of exchange control authorities, , boosey forced clear situation @ great personal cost. hawkes secretly wanted buy out music publishing side of business , manage new york, leaving boosey in london musical instrument business hawkes found dull. however, died on 8 september 1950, , representation of faction taken on flamboyant unreliable brother geoffrey spent of company s money on ventures such manufacture of mouth organs , ovens, failed. geoffrey hawkes sold shares in company fund philandering, point company forced go public raise cash. leslie boosey allowed geoffrey turn chairman, within 2 years profitable company on brink of insolvency , geoffrey hawkes died of leukaemia in 1961.

the distinctive brown cover of hawkes pocket score: dmitri shostakovich s violin concerto no. 1 (op. 77; numbered op. 99).

during these difficult years, boosey supported trusted managing director, ernst roth. however, roth later regarded boosey family ineffectual , parochial. in 1960s, roth forced boosey s sons anthony , simon out of company, , prevented youngest son, nigel, joining, allegedly @ behest of benjamin britten. roth , boosey had differences on britten s influence on company. roth regarded britten gifted local musician, rather true genius roth s friends strauss , stravinsky. boosey realised how valuable britten company, , agreed britten s request divide company instruments , publishing. however, britten humiliated boosey preventing him chairing music publishing board boosey had established @ britten s request. in 1963, britten managed boosey & hawkes employ donald mitchell find new, young composers company. angered sway britten had on boosey, roth fired mitchell within year. mitchell later set faber music book publisher faber , faber assistance of britten , blessing of t. s. eliot.

boosey retired company in 1964, , died without obituary in 1979. although had been awarded légion d honneur france, achievements unrecognised in uk. however, large number of composers , estates continue benefit pioneering work in rights , royalty collection. in addition, every 2 years royal philharmonic society , performing right society honour individuals have made outstanding contribution furtherance of contemporary music in britain leslie boosey award. award given work backstage , such administrators, broadcasters, educationalists, programmers, publishers , representatives recording industry.

some time during late 1960s or 1970s boosey & hawkes bought out salvation army brass instrument factory in north london. continued years manufacture instruments salvation army name , crest on them such bandmaster cornets.

boosey & hawkes musical instruments division gradually scaled down mid-1970s became less viable have such extensive range of products. various lines outsourced , sold off. time of closure of edgware factory in 2001, brass instruments thriving part of instrument range. production moved watford, hertfordshire, , instruments rebranded besson.

it took 20 years boosey & hawkes regain leading position in international music scene has today. claims largest specialist classical music publisher in world.