Chappell & Co.
| Company type | Private (historically) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music publishing, Piano manufacturing |
| Founded | 1811 |
| Founder | Samuel Chappell, Francis Tatton Latour, Johann Baptist Cramer |
| Defunct | 1987 (as independent company) |
| Fate | Acquired by Warner Communications; integrated into Warner Chappell Music |
| Headquarters | London , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Sheet music, pianos, musical theatre publications |
| Parent | Warner Chappell Music (Warner Music Group) |
Chappell & Co. was an English enterprise specializing in music publishing and piano manufacturing. Established by pianist Samuel Chappell, the company grew to become a foremost British publisher of music and piano maker until 1980, at which point it divested its retail division to concentrate exclusively on music publishing.
After several ownership changes, the Chappell brand is currently held by Warner Chappell Music, a division of Warner Music Group, which acquired it for $200 million in 1987.
History
Founded in 1811 by Samuel Chappell (circa 1782–1834), alongside partners Francis Tatton Latour and the prominent London composer and pianist Johann Baptist Cramer, Chappell & Co. established its headquarters on Bond Street, featuring expansive showrooms dedicated to pianos and sheet music, making it a notable fixture in the area. Samuel Chappell played a role in founding the Philharmonic Society, and by 1819, Ludwig van Beethoven regarded Chappell as one of the premier publishers.
Following Samuel’s passing in 1834, management passed to his eldest son William Chappell (1809–1888), who led the company until approximately 1843. Subsequently, his younger brother Thomas Patey Chappell (1819–1902) assumed leadership. Initially concentrating on publishing and concert promotion, the firm expanded into piano manufacturing during the 1840s.
Under Thomas’s direction, the publishing arm grew with a focus on musical theatre—a segment that remains central to Chappell’s enduring success. The company actively organized concerts and events to enhance music sales, notably sponsoring popular performances at St James Hall starting in 1859. Among its distinguished publications were Gilbert and Sullivan operas, Arthur Sullivan’s compositions, Gounod’s Faust, and Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl. Thomas also contributed as a founding director of the Royal College of Music and served as a governor of the Royal Albert Hall. From 1881 until 1900, he was the inaugural Chairman of the Music Publishers Association.
Throughout the 20th century, Chappell solidified its position as a leading British publisher of music and manufacturer of pianos. The company was purchased in 1926 by brothers Louis and Max Dreyfus. Following Max Dreyfus’s death in 1964, a fire destroyed their London premises; however, reconstruction followed promptly. By the late 1970s, Chappell had gained worldwide recognition for publishing musical theatre works such as those by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
In 1970, PolyGram acquired Chappell’s publishing division for £20 million. Five years later, in 1975, Chappell purchased American publisher Hill & Range. By 1980, the company exited its retail operations to dedicate itself solely to music publishing; Kemble Pianos acquired its Bond Street location and operated under the name "Chappell of Bond Street."
In 1984, PolyGram sold Chappell to an investment group including Freddy Bienstock. This consortium then sold it to Warner Communications in 1987 for $200 million, integrating it into Warner Chappell Music. Following Time Warner’s spin-off in 2004, Warner Music Group became the brand’s owner.
The production music catalog known as the Chappell Recording Music Library was separately acquired by Zomba Group of Companies, later incorporated into BMG-Zomba Production Music under Bertelsmann Music Group. Currently, this library is owned by Universal Music Group after Bertelsmann divested its music publishing assets in 2007.
Bibliography
- Boosey, William. Fifty Years of Music, London: Ernest Benn Limited (1931). Available at: https://archive.org/stream/fiftyyearsofmusi002543mbp/fiftyyearsofmusi002543mbp_djvu.txt
- Husk, William Henry; Cranmer, Margaret; Jones, Peter Ward; and Snell, Kenneth R. "Chappell". In L. Macy (ed.), Grove Music Online (subscription needed). Accessed 7 March 2007.
External links
- Chappell of Bond Street – Official site promoting Chappell pianos
- Articles with short description
- Sheet music publishing companies
- Piano manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom
- Musical instrument manufacturing companies based in London
- Publishing companies based in London
- 1811 establishments in England
- 1987 disestablishments in England
- British companies established in 1811
- Music publishing companies of the United Kingdom
- Publishing companies established in 1811
- Manufacturing companies established in 1811
- 1970 mergers and acquisitions
- 1984 mergers and acquisitions
- 1987 mergers and acquisitions
- Publishing companies disestablished in 1987
- British companies disestablished in 1987