Books › Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937 › scan 51
Scan 51
Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937
17 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 29. See the scan on archive.org.
1the enterprise of Oliver Ditson, Colonel Parker took him into partnership in 1836. In 1842 Mr. Ditson acquired the interest of Colonel Parker, who withdrew all connection in 1856.
3The company started early the reprinting of noteworthy European works. An outstanding example was the publication in 1845 of the first American edition of Haydn's Creation.4 Folio pages were large in those days, as they were 10 x 15. Oliver Ditson while located at [address hidden] published from engraved plates, in two volumes, a complete edition of The Piano Forte Sonatas of Beethoven which was finished by March 1856,5 possibly the earliest American edition of these works. The first American edition of J. Sebastian Bach's Well-Tempered Clavichord Being the Celebrated [address hidden] and Fugues6 was also brought out by Oliver Ditson in 1856,7 in two quarto volumes for $5. This was edited by "Charles Czerny" and had a preface in which he stated that in marking the tempi and expression he had been guided by the character of each movement, his recollections of Beethoven's playing of some of them and his own ideas derived from thirty years study of this work. Other "choice" publications of the years 1856 and 1857 were Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, Mendelssohn's Four Part Songs with the English text by J. C. D. Parker, Ditson's Standard Operas, Garcia's Complete School of Singing and Kreutzer's Forty Studies for the Violin. one of two readings
4The company started early the reprinting of noteworthy European works. An outstanding example was the publication in 1845 of the first American edition of Haydn's Creation. Folio pages were large in those days, as they were 10 x 15. Oliver Ditson while located at [address hidden] published from engraved plates, in two volumes, a complete edition of The Piano Forte Sonatas of Beethoven which was finished by March 1856, possibly the earliest American edition of these works. The first American edition of J. Sebastian Bach's Well-Tempered Clavichord Being the Celebrated [address hidden] and Fugues was also brought out by Oliver Ditson in 1856, in two quarto volumes for $5. This was edited by "Charles Czerny" and had a preface in which he stated that in marking the tempi and expression he had been guided by the character of each movement, his recollections of Beethoven's playing of some of them and his own ideas derived from thirty years study of this work. Other "choice" publications of the years 1856 and 1857 were Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, Mendelssohn's Four Part Songs with the English text by J. C. D. Parker, Ditson's Standard Operas, Garcia's Complete School of Singing and Kreutzer's Forty Studies for the Violin. one of two readings
6John C. Haynes entered Mr. Ditson's employ in 1845 as an office boy. When he was admitted to the firm in 1857 it assumed the name of Oliver Ditson & Co. After Oliver Ditson's death in 1888 Mr. Haynes became president in 1889, retaining this position until 1907.
8As the business grew8 Mr. Ditson's friend, John Henry Howard Graupner, who had been taught music engraving by his father, Gottlieb Graupner, was in charge of the music printing and engraving department from 1850 or earlier to 1888. one of two readings
9As the business grew Mr. Ditson's friend, John Henry Howard Graupner, who had been taught music engraving by his father, Gottlieb Graupner, was in charge of the music printing and engraving department from 1850 or earlier to 1888. one of two readings
114 Fisher, William Arms. One Hundred and Fifty Years of Music Publishing in the United States p. 57.
125 This work was several years in preparation as a review in the first volume of Dwight's Journal of Music April 10, 1852 p. 3 states "About half the Sonatas are already issued."
136 This fact was called to Mr. Fisher's attention by Albert Riemenschneider of Baldwin-Wallace College after the publication of his book One Hundred and Fifty Years of Music Publishing in the United States.
147 This work was advertised in Dwight's Journal of Music Nov. 1, 1856 p. 40 as nearly ready. The publisher's name appears in the books as Oliver Ditson, which was changed early in 1857 to Oliver Ditson & Co. upon Mr. Haynes' admission to partnership.
158 For more details about the growth of the business see Fisher, William Arms. One Hundred and Fifty Years of Music Publishing in the United States:
16Chronology of Oliver Ditson Company, Inc. pp. 84 & 85 and Seventy Years More pp. 71-82 covering the years from 1860 on.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.