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Édition Russe de Musique^[1] (Russian: Российское музыкальное издательство, Rossiyskoe muzykalnoye izdatelstvo), also known as Russicher Musikverlag (and abbreviated as RMV), was a music publishing firm founded in 1909 by Serge and Natalia Koussevitzky to promote the careers of contemporary Russian composers by publishing their music.

Serge Koussevitzky (July 26 [O.S. July 14] 1874 – June 4, 1951) was born into a poor Jewish family of professional musicians. He studied double bass at the Musico-Dramatic School of the Moscow Philharmonic Society (now the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts), joined the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra in 1894, and succeeded his teacher Rambusek as its principal bassist in 1901. A virtuosic performer, he came to international attention in 1903, following his critically-acclaimed debut recital in Berlin. ^[2]

He divorced his first wife (dancer Nadezhda Galat) in 1905, and married Natalie Ushkov, daughter of a wealthy tea-merchant.^[3] Her fortune enabled the couple to move to Berlin, where he studied conducting with Arthur Nikisch. In 1908, he hired the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for his conducting debut in a concert that included the Piano Concerto No. 2 of Sergei Rachmaninoff with the composer at the piano.

In 1909, he established his publishing company with headquarters in Berlin, although branch offices were located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Leipzig, Paris, London, and New York. The Koussevitzkys returned to Moscow where Serge established his own orchestra (also funded by his wife's fortune).

Koussevitzky appointed a committee to select works for inclusion in the firm’s catalogue. It originally included: Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nikolai Medtner, Alexander Ossovsky, Nikolai von Struve, and Koussevitzky. In 1911, the committee rejected Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Petrushka. When Koussevitzky threatened to withdraw his support, the committee reversed its decision.

In 1914, Koussevitzky bought the catalog of the competing Moscow music publisher Alexander Gutheil for 300,000 rubles.^[4]

Following the 1917 Revolution, the Russian offices of Éditions russes were nationalized, along with all other Russian music publishers, becoming part of the Music Division of the State Publishing House. As a result, many composers published by the firm lost their copyrights and the income from sales, rentals, and performance fees. This loss came as a particular hardship to Igor Stravinsky, as recorded in his autobiography.

Koussevitzky was appointed conductor of the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Petrograd (formerly the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Russia’s oldest orchestra, founded in 1882). But in 1920 (when the orchestra was collectivized following the establishment of the Bolshevik government), Serge and Natalie Koussevitzky left Russia permanently, and moved the headquarters of Éditions russes to Paris where, in 1921, he established the prestigious Grands Concerts Symphoniques Koussevitzky. The series focused on music by Russian composers from Mikhail Glinka through Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev, and included such contemporary French composers as Maurice Ravel, Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, and Germaine Tailleferre.^[5] Many of the works performed were published by Éditions russes de musique.

In 1924, Koussevitzky became conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra following the departure of Pierre Monteux. Nevertheless, he returned to Paris each summer until 1929 to conduct the concerts that bore his name.

In 1930, the Music Division of the State Publishing House was renamed Gosudarstvennoye Muzykal'noe Izdatelstvo (Государственное музыкальное издательство), translated as State Music Publishing House, referred to by its short name, Muzgiz. (After 1964, it was known as Muzika (or Muzyka or Музыка, in Russian).

On March 1, 1947, Koussevitzky sold Édition russe de musique (including the Gutheil impring) to the British music publisher Boosey and Hawkes which still publishes many of the works originally in Koussevitzky’s catalogue.^[6]

Notes[edit]

^ The musical literature is full of references to the firm in the French plural: "Éditions Russes de Musique." However, the original title pages give it in the singular.
^ José Bowen, "Koussevitzky [Kusevitsky], Sergey (Aleksandrovich)" in Sadie, Stanley; John Tyrrell, eds. (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition. New York: Grove's Dictionaries. ISBN 1-56159-239-0.
^ Lebrecht, Norman. The Maestro Myth: Great Conductors in Pursuit of Power. (rev. ed. New York, NY: Citadel Press, 2001) p. 133
^ [1]
^ A complete list of the programs (with facsimiles) may be found at: http://www.classical.net/music/guide/society/krs/programs/
^ http://imslp.org/wiki/Editions_Russes_de_Musique

External Links[edit]

http://www.boosey.com/pages/aboutus/History.asp

[1] The musical literature is full of references to the firm in the French plural: "Éditions Russes de Musique." However, the original title pages give it in the singular.

[NewGrove2-2] José Bowen, "Koussevitzky [Kusevitsky], Sergey (Aleksandrovich)" in Sadie, Stanley; John Tyrrell, eds. (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition. New York: Grove's Dictionaries. ISBN 1-56159-239-0.

[3] Lebrecht, Norman. The Maestro Myth: Great Conductors in Pursuit of Power. (rev. ed. New York, NY: Citadel Press, 2001) p. 133

[4] [1]

[5] A complete list of the programs (with facsimiles) may be found at: http://www.classical.net/music/guide/society/krs/programs/

[6] ttp://imslp.org/wiki/Editions_Russes_de_Musique

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