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Braam, Gunther: The Portraits of Hector Berlioz (NBE) 26
complete edition
Each reproduction is accompanied by information on its date, artist and present location. This collection of all known Berlioz portraits sheds entirely new light on the life and surroundings of the great French composer.
'The Portraits of Hector Berlioz' is the first collection of all the portraits made of Berlioz during his lifetime. It ranges from photographs, formal paintings and drawings by way of woodcuts and lithographs to the many caricatures which his striking appearance attracted. Each picture is accompanied by a full description and thorough documentation of its location and history, details of the artist's career and relationship with Berlioz, an explanation of the circumstances of the picture's creation, and much else in the way of relevant comment. This documen tation also sheds light on the development of photography and its position in the society of the Second Empire , as well as on the emphasis on caricature in the often satirical journalism of the day. Where they contribute to the appreciation of the picture, the articles which the caricatures illustrate, or extracts from them, are also included in an Appendix. Some of the pictures are published for the first time and many for the first time in colour.
As well as being fascinating and often entertaining, the collection adds to our understanding of Berlioz's life, times and the circumstances in which his music was composed and performed.
In the autumn of 1923, a young man produced the first music editions of his newly founded publishing house in his parents’ living room. He named his company Bärenreiter. In the spring of 1924 when Karl Vötterle came of age, he was able to register it with the German Publishers and Booksellers Association. At first, he mainly put out folk song collections, church as well as organ music including early music by Leonhard Lechner and Heinrich Schütz, at the time primarily known in specialist circles.
During the last months of the Second World War, the publishing house in Kassel was destroyed and once more a fresh beginning had to be made. With the start of the extensive German music encyclopaedia MGG – "Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart" – as well as numerous series of scholarly-critical complete editions such as the “New Mozart Edition” and the “New Bach Edition”, the visionary founder of the publisher created the basis for the further development of Bärenreiter. The musicological editions increasingly aroused interest abroad, and Bärenreiter found itself on an expansion course.
When Karl Votterle died in 1975, his daughter Barbara took over the helm, supported by her husband Leonhard Scheuch. Under their leadership, the catalogue grew significantly and the brand BÄRENREITER URTEXT was established. Finally, in 2003, their son Clemens Scheuch joined the publisher which today he is managing together with his parents. Thus Bärenreiter has remained a family business to this day and has become a company of international standing in the world of classical music.
