Famous music publisher falls after family split
NewsEdition Peters, a music publishers that traces its heritage back to Leipzig in 1800, was sold today to Wise Music Group.
Peters originated works by Beethoven, Weber and Mendelssohn. Based in Leipzig, it became an authority on Bach. In 1900 it added Mahler and Richard Strauss.
In the Nazi era, 18 members of the Hinrichsen family who owned the firm from 1863 were murdered. Peters was turned over to a Nazi flak and decades passed before it returned to family control and managed under a foundation. It is understood that differing views among the heirs resulted in today’s sale. Christian Hinrichsen, an American heir, will remain a co-owner of the new entity.
Press release follows.
Wise Music Group is proud to announce the acquisition of a controlling interest in Edition Peters Group, one of the world’s oldest and most distinguished music publishing houses. Wise Music Group has made its acquisition from the Hinrichsen Foundation and will own Edition Peters Group in partnership with Christian Hinrichsen whose family association with the company began in 1863.
Today Edition Peters Group has offices in London and New York as well as Leipzig, the city where it was founded in 1800. Today it remains one of the most respected music publishing houses in the world. …
Today the rich and diverse catalogue of contemporary composers includes Mark Andre, Sally Beamish, Daníel Bjarnason, Gloria Coates, James Dillon, Jonathan Dove, Sebastian Fagerlund, Brian Ferneyhough, Bernd Franke, Ash Fure, Bernhard Gander, Emily Howard, Clara Iannotta, George Lewis, Elena Mendoza, Shawn Okpebholo, Roxanna Panufnik, Roger Reynolds, Rebecca Saunders, Tyshawn Sorey, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Errollyn Wallen.
Edition Peters Group will retain its individual identity within Wise Music Group, alongside Chester Music, G. Schirmer, Associated Music Publishers, Novello & Co, Éditions Alphonse Leduc, Première Music, Le Chant du Monde, Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Unión Musical Ediciones and Bosworth Music GmbH.
Chris Butler, Wise Music Group’s Director of Global Rights Development, and new chairman of Edition Peters Group says: “This acquisition emphasises Wise Music Group’s commitment to the classical genre and reinforces the group’s long record of investment worldwide. The iconic Peters brand is recognised universally by students, composers and professionals, and its roster of composers over the past 200 years is remarkable. We look forward to building on that unique heritage and legacy”.
Hinrichsen Foundation Chairman Tim Berg says: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with Wise Music Group and with Christian Hinrichsen. We believe Edition Peters will be at home alongside many iconic names from music publishing history, working closely with a team that is passionate about the classical music. For the Foundation this creates an opportunity confidently to support contemporary music performance within the UK, particularly at this time of significant change”.
Christian Hinrichsen comments: “This is the natural union of two companies with proven track records in the specialist area of contemporary classical music publishing. I look forward to Edition Peters Group having new opportunities to develop its unique catalogue as a member of Wise Music Group’s international family of music publishers”.
When the Fresno Philharmonic recently played Mahler 5, the score and parts were from Edition Peters. I assume that that was one of the recent ‘urtexts’ that have been made of Mahler’s music, but I may be guessing wrong. The tuba part was rather different from what the standard tuba excerpts books have printed.
This is extraordinary, and rather sad, news. The companies and what they represented survived so much. To flog it off like this does seem a huge shame. But hey, i guess it’s just a brand, nothing more. Right?
The consequence of their failed Tido app.
You know what they say: an app a day keeps the doctor a doctor.
Here’s hoping the new owners will raise the level of scholarship in the scores of Beethoven and the like, removing all markings not included by the composer or else placing them in grey, as Alfred often does.
Oh great. The centralisation of everything continues apace.
The way I read it is that there will be no changes in Edition Peters, that it will remain operative as an independent publisher now owned by Wise Music. Hopefully it will mean for Edition Peters a more decisive path towards better Urtext and contemporary music editions, and a better and more centralised online shop, hiring system and website (Edition Peters is famous for having a terrible online presence and website).
Be certain that heir and co-owner, Christian Hinrichsen, will exact higher expectations now that he will no longer be tied to the greedy Hinrichsen Foundation. Clever young man to manoeuvre the firm out of a toxic situation.
And now the job cuts have begun.
So it seems. A fine publishing house down the drain.