Litolff

early G.M. Meyer cover (1853)
Early yellow cover (1860s)
Typical early yellow cover (1876)
Typical yellow cover (ca.1870)
yellow cover with border
Typical yellow cover (ca.1890)
Typical title page (ca.1890)
Typical later cover (ca.1900)

Contents

History

Litolff was one of an energetic group of publishers in the former Kingdom of Hannover and Duchy of Brunswick, (present day Lower Saxony) such as Nagel and Bachmann (Hannover), Heinrichshofen (Braunschweig) and Möseler Verlag (Wolfenbuttel).

The firm G.M. Meyer was founded on June 1, 1828 in Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany by Gottfried Martin Meyer and his wife. After Meyer's death in 1849, his widow continued running the business, which expanded greatly after she married the composer and pianist Henry Charles Litolff (1818-1891) in 1851.

Litolff brought important contacts with composers like Berlioz, Bülow, Fetis, Heller, Joachim, Liszt, Moscheles, and the Wieniawski brothers. Meyer's son Theodor Litolff (1839-1912), who was adopted by the elder Litolff, took over the business when Litolff divorced his mother in 1858. Theodor was an ingenious inventor, improving high-speed presses and using zinc plates for music engraving. The famous Litolff editions of Beethoven's works was initiated in 1862, and the series Litolffs Bibliothek Classischer Compositionen, a carefully edited series of classic works, was launched two years later.

The firm passed to Theodor's son Richard (1876-1937) in 1912, and was ultimately sold to C. F. Peters in 1940 by Richard's widow. In 1950 the Collection Litolff moved to Frankfurt with Peters. Peters continues to use the Litolff imprint to the present day.

In uploading and evaluating Litolff scores, remember that "Collection Litolff" in the bottom of the page indicates an Edition Number, not a plate, and a date after 1863.

Series and Editions

Series
Editions
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonatas. plates 1649-1680 / ed.number 2731. editor unknown, 1869
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonatas. Ed. by L. Winkler, 1872.
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonatas. Ed. by Germer, 1891. Ed no. 1980a-c
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonatas. Ed. by Clemens Schultze-Biesantz, 1907. Plate nos. 248, 301.

Imprints, Agencies, Addresses

Imprints

  • 1856-1864 - Henry Litolff’s Verlag
  • 1864-present - Collection Litolff

Addresses

  • 1940-1950 - Collection Litolff (Leipzig)
  • 1950-present - Collection Litolff (Frankfurt)

Plate Numbers

Plate Edition Composer Work Year
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (ed. L. Winkler) 1872
248, 301 Beethoven Piano Sonatas (ed. C. Schultze-Biesantz) 1907
1301 Ferling 3 Duos Concertantes for 2 Oboes, Op.13 1881
1582 Franck Variations symphoniques (arr. piano) [1885]
1651 Schumann Abegg Variations, Op.1 (ed. Kühner) 1887
1659 Schumann Carnaval, Op.9 (ed. Kühner) 1887
1774 Czerny Die Schule des Legato und Staccato, Op.335
1868 Diabelli Sonatas and Sonatinas for Piano 4-Hands ed. Schultze, Band 1 (Opp.24, 32, 34) 1889
1980a-c Beethoven Piano Sonatas (ed. Germer) 1891
2190 Artôt Souvenirs de Bellini, Op.4 (ed.&arr. by Dello) 1896
2335 Litolff Concerto Symphonique No.3, Op.45 1910 ca.?
2343 David Violin Concerto No.5, Op.35 (arr. Adolf Schultz) 1904
485 891 Fesca Piano Trio No.3, Op.23 (parts)
1535 Beethoven String Trio Op.9 No.1 (arr. for piano by L. Winkler) 1865
1649-80 2731 Beethoven Piano Sonatas
2388 Litolff Concerto symphonique No.5, Op.123 (pf part) 1870
2759 Schubert Piano Trio in B-flat major, D.898 (sc&pts) 1870
5187 Oberthür Seltne Liebe, Op.231 1876
9070 Lamothe La malle des Indes, Op.161 1876
10128 Weber Trio in G minor, Op.63 (Andante espressivo arr. by Vogel and Guérout) 1875
10245 931 Mendelssohn Piano Quartet No.2, Op.2 1878
10258 Krommer 3 Duos concertants, Op.51 (Blumenstegel/Schulz ed.) [1876]
10694 899 Vilbac L'Harmonium-Concertant (1879)
10854 Donizetti Linda di Chamounix (arr. for piano by F.G. Jansen) [1879]
11083 Abt Praktische Gesangschule, Op.474 (part 1 for bass/baritone) 1879
11518 Blumenthal 100 Uebungsstücke, Op.42 (Schulz ed.) [1881]
11523 Campagnoli 101 Easy and Progressive Pieces for 2 Violins, Op.20 (Book1: 1–55) 1881
12670 Waldteufel España, Op.236 (reprint of Costellat ed.) 1892

Authority control

VIAF (Henry Litolff's Verlag)

Published list

Plate #Full PlateComposerWorkIMSLP #Full YearYear