J. & W. Chester, Ltd.

Typical Chester cover, on orange-beige paper (1917)
Typical Chester cover, on grey paper (1916)
Unusual cover (1919)

History

John and William Chester started the firm in the 1860s, with its office, unusually, outside London, in Brighton, Sussex. They initially distributed imported editions of classical music, mainly from the Continent.

A new owner, Otto Marius Kling (1866-1924), acquired the company before the First World War, keeping the original name, but moving the office to London. Chester attracted new composers including Stravinsky, Poulenc and Falla among others. Harry Kling (1890-1936) became managing director after his father's death.

In the 1960s it was bought by Wilhelm Hansen, which became part of Music Sales, Ltd.

Plate Numbers

Chester plate numbers were most often preceded by the letters J.W.C. or J. & W.C. until the acquistion by Hansen in the 1960s. Thereafter, the prefix CH #### is encountered, though not always. Post-1970 reprints of earlier works typically include the new CH prefix.


Plate Composer Work Year
00032 Bliss Madam Noy (full score and parts) 1921
00041 Falla El amor brujo (full score) 1924
00125 Frankel Symphony (No.1), Op.33 (score) 1961
00202 Goossens 2 Sketches, Op.15 (score) 1916
00204 Erhart Piano Quintet in D major 1917
00210 Holbrooke Nocturne 'Fairyland', Op.57 No.1 (sc&pts) 1917
00219 Heath Serbian Quartet (score) 1919
0226a Beach Poem (f.s.) 1922
0275 Frankel Clarinet Quintet, Op.28 (score) 1958
00281 Frankel String Trio No.2, Op.34 (score) 1960
00392 Bowen Violin Sonata in E minor, Op.112 (sc & pt) 1946
00801 Marais 5 Old French Dances 1917
00804 Bantock Viola Sonata No.1 (sc&pt) 1920
00912 Schubert Schwanengesang, D.957 (arr. Piatti) 1920
01560 Bowen Oboe Sonata, Op.85 (sc&pt) 1944
01936 Peterson-Berger Dans la sombre forêt 1916
01937 Goossens Concert Study, Op.10 (score) 1916
02063 Jongen Suite, Op.60 1920
02093 Falla El amor brujo (Ritual Fire Dance, arr. pf) 1921
02096 Falla Fantasía Bética 1922
02120 Moeran Toccata 1924
02167 Tcherepnin Pièces Sentimentales 1929
02168-2254 Rummel Adaptations of J.S. Bach 1922
02903 Bax Moy Mell 1918
02907 Poulenc Sonata for piano four hands 1919
03025 Maleingreau Symphonie de Noel, Op.19 1920
03026 Honegger 2 Pieces for Organ 1920
03029-3031 Gigout 100 Pièces brèves nouvelles 1921
04026 Berkeley, L. Bells of Cordoba 1940
08784 Palestrina Missa Aeterna Christi Munera 1953
09707 Stravinsky Pulcinella: ballet avec chant 1920
09713 Falla El amor brujo (revised version, v.s.) 1921
09747 Falla El amor brujo (arr. Chavavadze) 1950
55183 Davies Tenebrae super Gesualdo (sc) 1980
55448 Berkeley, L. Bagatelle for 2 pianos, Op.101 No.1 1982
63228 Henze Scorribanda sinfonica (f.s.) 2002
Plate #Full PlateComposerWorkIMSLP #Full YearYear
}

Authority control