1883

  "No. XXIII. SCHOTT & SONS. The firm of B. Schott Söhne, of Mayence, are one of the largest in Germany. Their catalogue is said to contain upwards of 23,000 works, the latest and most valuable additions being Wagner's «Parsifal», «Nibelung's Ring», and «Meistersinger».

The firm was founded in 1773 by Bernhard Schott as music publishers at Mayence; but the French Revolution and the long wars paralyzed the efforts of the founder of the firm, and it was not till some years after that it was firmly established. Bernhard Schott died in 1817, leaving as his successors, Andreas Schott, born 1781, and Johann Joseph Schott, born December 12th, 1782.

The younger of these brothers had been in the business since 1800, and the energy and enterprise of the two soon rapidly advanced the business. They started branches in Paris, Antwerp (afterwards removed to Brussels), in 1838 in London, and subsequently at Leipsic, Rotterdam, Milan, and New York.

The Schotts were the first to use lithography for music, and no less than twenty presses were set up under the direction of another son of Bernhard Schott. The brothers Schott are said to be one of the first firms in Germany who paid high prices to composers for their works.

They acquired the copyrights of the Choral' Symphony, the «Requiem», and the posthumous quartets of Beethoven; and by multiplying their branches they were enabled to suppress pirated editions, and to dispense with some of the difficulties of copyright. The Schotts published in Germany from 1824 to 1848 a musical magazine called «Cæcilia», and in Brussels «La Guide Musicale».

In 1818 the indefatigable brothers started a musical instrument factory at Mayence, and their bassoons and oboes soon beIn 1826 they started a piano came famous. factory, which was given up in 1860, owing to the advance of the publishing business. Messrs. Schott are very large printers of musical and other works, and the firm in 1875 endowed a permanent orchestra for Mayence.

The Schotts have mainly kept the business and its branches in the family. Andreas Schott died in 1840. His son, Franz Philipp, born in 1811, had entered the head office at Mayence in 1825, and in 1840 he undertook the sole management of affairs in partnership with his uncle, Johann Joseph. The latter died in 1855, when Franz Philipp became sole proprietor of the business.

Since the death of Franz Philipp at Milan in 1874 the Mayence house has been directed by Peter Schott (a son of the founder of the Brussels branch), Franz von Landwehr (a son of a granddaughter of Bernhard Schott), and Dr. L. Strecker. The wife of Franz Philipp Schott (the pianist, Betty Braunrasch) died in 1875.

The London branch was founded in 1838 by Adam Schott, who left it in 1849. He was succeeded by Mr. J. B. Wolff, who was born in 1815, and died in March, 1881. A brief sketch of his career was given on page 19 of the London and Provincial Music Trades Review for April, 1881. The direction of the London branch is now in the able hands of Mr. Charles Volkert and Mr. William Berkeley Lemmer." Music Trades Review, 15/10/1883, p. 25

For references see pages :
SCHOTT in Mainz Germany
SCHOTT in Antwerp, Belgium
  SCHOTT (°1818) in Paris, France