Cooperation with Schott music publishers

»From 1923, all works were exclusively published by the music publishing company B. Schott's Söhne [B. Schott’s Sons], Mainz.«[1]

In 1930, Carl Orff met Willy Strecker, at that time the proprietor of Schott, at a music festival in Königsberg. Orff was able to convince Strecker with his revolutionary elemental music education plans. Strecker’s response: »[...]Your entire plan is so insane that I would like to print a few experimental booklets.«[2]

»Alongside the text, the music (for Carmina Burana) grew so quickly […] that I was able to undertake a journey to visit my publishers in Mainz at the beginning of June (1934). I only had a typewritten text as the basis to play from. The music was so vivid and vital in my head that I had no need of any musical notation. When questioned about the score, I had to admit that no such thing existed as yet. […]. I intended to have the score ready to send for printing at the latest by Christmas.
At any rate, my friends Ludwig und Willi Strecker […] were confident about my new work and gave generous forecasts regarding its anticipated success.«[3]

   

(Carl Orff und Ludwig Strecker, Wiesbaden 1976)

[…]There (in North America), a pioneering concert performance (of Carmina Burana) was given in 1954 in the Carnegie Hall, New York, under the direction of Leopold Stokowski. The degree of Stokowski’s identification with the work can be observed in his correspondence with Orff’s publisher Willy Strecker:

23. December 1954
Dear Mr. Strecker,
it was a pleasure to receive your telegram about Orff's extraordinary Carmina Burana. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life to conduct this music, which I believe to be of great importance in the history of music. Soon I hope to conduct Trionfi of Afrodite in the Hollywood bowl, and Catulli Carmina[...]. If you see Orff please thank him for me and give him my greetings. [...]I hope to have the pleasure of meeting him[...].
Sincerely Leopold Stokowski[4]

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[1] CO-Dok I,240; [2] Hermann Regner from: Carl Orff: Dank an Ludwig Strecker, in: Festschrift für einen Verleger. Ludwig Strecker zum 90. Geburtstag, ed. Carl Dahlhaus, Mainz 1973, p. 13/14; [3] CO-Dok IV,41; [4] CO-Dok IV,84; [5] Carl Orff: Dank an Ludwig Strecker, in: Festschrift für einen Verleger. Ludwig Strecker zum 90. Geburtstag, ed. Carl Dahlhaus, Mainz 1973, p. 15
Image: Schott Music; OZM