A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Whistling and Hoffmeister's Handbuch

by William Barclay Squire

WHISTLING AND HOFMEISTER'S HANDBUCH. The origin of this useful work is due to C. F. Whistling, a Leipzig publisher, who in 1817 brought out the first volume, under the title 'Handbuch der musikalischen Literatur, oder allgemeines systematisch geordnetes Verzeichniss gedruckter Musikalien, auch musikalischer Schriften und Abbildungen mit Anzeige des Verlegers und Preises,' 8vo. This work was published anonymously by A. Meysel, and contains a tolerably complete list of the music published in Germany, with some additions from neighbouring countries, between the years 1780 and 1817. In 1819 the publication was bought by the elder Hofmeister (also a Leipzig publisher), but in 1825 it was resold to Whistling. The 1817 volume was followed by ten yearly supplements, carrying the work down to 1827. In 1828 the second volume (or rather a new edition of that of 1817) appeared. This work, to which Whistling's name appears, is an 8vo. volume of 1158 pages; it is divided into three parts, and was followed by a supplement, containing a list of the works published while the book was in the press. In 1829 Whistling sold his whole business to the Hofmeisters, who thus again obtained possession of the work, and brought out two more supplements, carrying it down to 1833 and .1838 respectively. In 1844 a third edition appeared under the following title: 'C. F. Whistling's Handbuch der musikalischen Literatur, oder allgemeines systematisch-geordnetes Verzeichniss der in Deutschland und in den angrenzenden Ländern gedruckten Musikalien auch musikalischen Schriften und Abbildungen, mit Anzeige der Verleger und Preise. Dritte, bis zum Anfang des Jahres 1844 ergänzte Auflage. Bearbeitet und herausgegeben von A. Hofineister.' This edition (a 4to. volume) was published by Friedrich Hofmeister. It consists of three parts with separate pagination (Part I, pp. 144; Part II, pp. 336; Part III, pp. 340); the third part is dated 1845, and is preceded by a list of the changes which have taken place in the various firms of music-publishers during the period covered by the volume. In 1851 a series of yearly 8vo. volumes was begun, containing lists of the music published during the year preceding that of each publication. This series is still continued. In 1852 another volume (382 pp.) of the 4to edition carried the collection on from January 1844 until the end of 1851. In 1860 a second volume (470 pp.) carried it down to the end of 1859, and in 1868 a third (561 pp.) down to the end of 1867. These volumes were all edited by Adolph Hofmeister, and published by Friedrich Hofineister, but since 1876 the work has been both edited and published by the latter. The last two volumes of the 4to series which have hitherto (March, 1886) appeared, are those of 1876 (575 pp.) and 1881 (685 pp.). The titles the volumes at present bear, according to which the 1860 issue appears as 'Fünfter Band oder Zweiter Ergänzungsband,' seem a little ambiguous unless it is remembered that the editions of 1817, 1828, 1844, and 1852 are treated as the first four volumes, though the issue of 1852 is at the same time regarded as the first supplement to its predecessors.

[ W. B. S. ]