Ries & Erler

Franz Ries (1846–1932) co-founder
Waltraud Ries (ca. 1920-1968) rebuilder of the firm in 1945-68
Typical cover (ca.1880)
Typical color title page (1914)

Contents

History

In 1881 the violinist and composer Franz Ries (1846–1932) (son of Hubert Ries (1802–1886)) founded, together with the publisher Hermann Erler (1844–1918), the music publishing house 'Ries & Erler' in Berlin. Erler had managed his own publishing house, Hermann Erler, since 1873, producing many of Hubert Ries's works.

The new firm’s first successes were Heinrich Hofmann's opera "Ännchen von Tharau" and Hermann Fliege's "Circus Renz-Gavotte". Franz Ries put some of his own works in the catalog: the ever-popular violin pieces "Perpetuum mobile" from Suite No.3, Op.34 and "La Capricciosa".

After Erler’s death Franz Ries continued the business alone, and proceeded to take over smaller publishers such as M. Schloss of Cologne, Voigt of Kassel, E.F. Hientzsch of Breslau and R. Sulzer, Hermann Loffler and Jatho from Berlin. The following composers entered the catalog: Walter Braunfels, Siegmund von Hausegger, Engelbert Humperdinck, Hugo Kaun(("Sir John Falstaff"), Hans Pfitzner ("Käthchen von Heilbronn", songs) and Emil von Reznicek (Sinfonische Suite). The firm’s continuing interest in the violin was shown by the publication of many studies by Carl Flesch.

In 1924 Franz Ries passed the management to his son Robert who took an interest in contemporary composers: Theodor Berger (Streichquartett, "Rondino giocoso"), Harald Genzmer (1909-2007)(Konzert für Trautonium und Orchester Nr.1, Erste Sonate für Flöte und Klavier), Walter Jentsch, Mark Lothar ("Kleine Theater-Suite" und Oper "Till"), Heinz Schubert, Karl Heinz Taubert, Heinz Tiessen (Hamlet-Suite, Amsel-Septett) and Grete von Zieritz (Japanische Lieder, Bilder vom Jahrmarkt).

From 1942 on the latter's two daughters, Waltraud and Ingrid, became proprietors of the publishing house. Waltraud especially worked with great dedication to learn the business, at first relying on colleagues because of her youth and lack of experience, and abandoning plans to enter university.

During the last days of World War II the home of the company on the Kurfurstendamm in Berlin was destroyed in the battle for Berlin, on May 1st 1945, and 60 years of archives and plates perished. Many similar firms never restarted, but Waltraud had the vision and determination to rebuild the firm she loved, obtaining a business license in 1948, and starting by reprinting favorite titles.

In the 50s and 60s new composers joined the catalog: Erwin Dressel (Clarinet concerto, "Partita" for saxophone and piano), Werner Eisbrenner, Friedrich Metzler(2nd symphony), Franz Reinl (Mixtum compositum for orchestra).

Popular music was not forgotten, especially with the acquisition of Wilke & Co. Berlin, so that alongside new works by Hans Bund, Hanns Kallies, Edmund Kötscher Willi Löffler and others, new arrangements of pre-war favorites by Jo Knümann and Josef Rixner were published.

After Waltraud Ries's death in 1968 Ingrid Meurer, Waltraud's sister, continued with the business. In 1997 her son Andreas Meurer took over the publishing house.

In the 1990s the company bought the contemporary E-Musik publisher Edition Corona, Berlin (1993) and the long-standing Berlin publisher Hermann Löffler(1997). Today the company's focus is among others on contemporary music, educational works especially for the violin (Carl Flesch, Zakhar Bron, Ramin Entezami),along with music for children and family use, and symphonic music of the 19th century. An unusual speciality is music for silent films.

(A note on founding: there are several sources which say of this or that score, "Published by Robert Seitz (date before 1881) (later Ries & Erler)", etc. at least strongly suggesting that Seitz's catalog was purchased by Ries and Erler when they began their joint concern or sometime in that vicinity; it would be interesting to know the details.)

Editions

  • Recently: Editions of symphonies and other works, including a number of Complete Works series - for example the complete works, orchestral works, or symphonies of Wilhelm Furtwängler, Ferdinand Ries, Franz Krommer and others. Some of these works are published in full score for the first time, some for the first time at all. Quite a few perhaps notable Gesamtausgabe(n) on the Ries & Erler imprint/from their publishing house in the last few decades.

Imprints, Addresses, Agencies

Plate Numbers

Ries & Erler's plate numbers appear in the format of ###, F #### R or R. #### E. Dates in italics are estimated.

Plate Composer Work Year
00012 Fliege Gavotte Circus Renz, Op.105 1873
00029 Jensen Eroticon, Op.44 1873
000121 Ries 3 Lieder, Op.21 (No.1)
000130-131 (?) Le Beau 8 Preludes, Op.12
000145 Weingartner Fantasiebilder, Op.5
00150 Hofmann Frithjof, Op.22 (sc) 1875
00242-3 Hofmann Cello Concerto, Op.31 (sc&solo pt) 1875
00669-70 Wüerst Unterm Balcon Serenade, Op.78 (sc&pts) 1880
00693 Stanford Violin Sonata No.1, Op.11 1881
00752 Hofmann Frithjof, Op.22 (arr pf4h)
01024 Brüll 3 Piano Pieces, Op.28 1882
01055 Concone 15 Gesangsübungen
01083 Huber Violin Sonata No.1, Op.18 1882
01378 Liebich Die Spieldose, Op.202
01531 Raff String Octet, Op.176
01823 Żeleński 2 Mazurkas, Op.31 1881
01840a Zarzycki Śpiewnik na jeden głos No.1, Op.13 (No.4) 1881
01896 Wilm 18 Russian Folk Songs, Op.15 (books 5 and 6) 1882
02047 Chopin Piano Concerto No.1, Op.11 (arr. piano solo by Tausig) 1885
02061-6 Stavenhagen 6 Lieder, Op.1 1885
02220 Wüllner König Wein, Op.44 1883
02334 Raff Italienische Suite, WoO.35 1884
02504 Wilm Romanze und Humoreske, Op.47 1884
02542 Paderewski Tatra Album, Op.12 1888
02625 Ries Violin Concerto, Op.24 (vn/pf reduction) 1885
02650 Bernard Violin Concerto, Op.29 (New edition, vn/pf) 1885
04077 Wilm 2 Charakterstücke, Op.60 (No.1) 1887
04765 Ashton Suite, Op.50 1892?
05162 Raff Aus Thüringen, WoO.45 1893
05445 Stavenhagen Piano Concerto No.1, Op.4 1894
06186 Moszkowski 6 Piano Pieces, Op.56 1896
07210 Hausegger Dionysische Phantasie 1902
07708 Rössler Fantasy 1905
07862 Rössler Piano Trio in A major (sc&pts) 1905
07877 Pfitzner Das Käthchen von Heilbronn, Op.17 (overture, full score) 1905
07993 Pfitzner Das Christ-Elflein, Op.20 (overture, arr. piano solo) 1906
08014 Hadley Salome, Op.55 1906
08155 Taubert Suite No.2, Op.70 1908
08178 Rössler Passacaglia 1908
08442-43 Gurlitt 2 Charakterstücke 1910
08581 Schumann Lebensfreude, Op.54 1911
08683 Braunfels Carnevals-Ouverture, Op.22 1912
08686 Braunfels Lyrischer Kreis, Op.16 (f.s.) 1912
08721-22 Erdmannsdörfer Zwei Melodramen 1912
08764 Lévy, Henriot Violin Sonata, Op.6 (score) 1913
08808-8811 Langgaard Blumenvignetten 1913
08853 Fiedler Lustspiel Overture, Op.11 1914
09561 Ries La capricciosa (sc&pt) 1925
09771 Ebel Sinfonietta giocosa, Op.39 (score) 1929
09794 Frenkel, S. Violin Concerto, Op.9 (arr., vn/pf) 1929
09798 Lothar, M. Lieder, Op.14 (2nd.F.) 1930
09823 Burgstaller, S. Sommerabend, ein idyll, Op.9 (fs) 1930
10209 Faltis Lieder fernen Gedenkens, Op. post. 1939
11328 Genzmer Saxophone Sonata (sc&pt) 1983
24037 Genzmer Little Symphony (f.s.) 1995
43017 Furtwängler Complete Works, "Bd. III.I." (piano quintet ed. Krahnert) 2002
51162 Furtwängler Complete Works, Series 1, Bd.6 (early orch. wks. Ed. Albrecht) 2006
Plate #Full PlateComposerWorkIMSLP #Full YearYear

Authority control

  • VIAF (Ries & Erler (Firm))

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