A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Ewer and Co.

by A. J. Hipkins

EWER & Co. A firm of music publishers and importers, originally established by John J. Ewer about seventy years ago in small premises in Bow Churchyard. Ewer & Co. were for many years almost the only importers of foreign music in this country. Their publications were chiefly by German composers, and it was their editions of vocal quartets with English words, brought out in score and parts under the title of 'Orpheus,' and also 'Gems of German Song,' that first brought the firm into notice. On the retirement of Ewer, the business passed by purchase into the hands of E. Buxton, who removed it, first to Newgate Street, and afterwards to No. 390 Oxford Street. The business, under Buxton's direction, gained a great importance owing to the acquisition of the copyright for England of all subsequent works to be composed by Mendelssohn. The incident that determined Mendelssohn thus to accept Ewer & Co. is noteworthy. He had offered Addison & Co., through the mediation of Benedict, the copyright of his Scotch Symphony and the fourth Book of the Lieder ohne Worte, with some smaller pieces. Addison & Co. were willing to take the pianoforte compositions, but were not disposed to give the amount asked, £25, for the Symphony, intimating that the first Symphony had not sold well,, and that they had unsaleable copies on hand. They eventually offered £20. Mendelssohn, who disliked bargaining, felt hurt, and at the suggestion of Benedict offered the new works to Buxton, who gladly accepted them, and agreed to publish all Mendelssohn's future compositions. Buxton, who had a large business of another kind, and had only taken to music publishing from his attachment to the art, in 1860 sold his property of Ewer & Co. to Mr. William Witt, who had been the manager of the firm from 1852. Mr. Witt removed the business premises to No. 87 Regent Street, where he added a Musical Library that offered for circulation every branch of musical composition. By sparing neither trouble nor expense his library became one of the most valuable and extensive in existence. Cheap and complete editions of Mendelssohn's works were brought out by him before the like could be done in the composer's own country. Mr. Witt retired in 1867, when the firm of Ewer & Co. went by purchase to Messrs. Novello & Co. [See Novello, Ewer & Co..]

[ A. J. H. ]