Éditions Durand
Product brand
UnclaimedÉditions Durand-Salabert-Eschig is a French-origin music-publishing brand focused on classical, modernist, contemporary, and related music catalogues.
Last updated August 31, 2026
Overview
Éditions Durand-Salabert-Eschig is the modern name associated with a historic French music-publishing business whose principal lineage begins with Éditions Durand, founded in Paris in 1869 by Auguste Durand and Louis Schönewerk. The business became one of France’s most influential publishers of art music, particularly through its relationships with major composers of French musical modernism and through its long-running role in producing authoritative scores, educational editions, chamber repertory, orchestral works, and related music literature. The Durand company developed from a nineteenth-century Parisian publishing operation into a major catalogue holder. Its early growth included the acquisition of Éditions Flaxland in 1869, bringing additional European art-music titles into the business. The firm was initially known as Éditions Durand-Schönewerk & Cie. In 1891, after Jacques Durand joined his father, its corporate name changed to Éditions A. Durand & Fils. Following Auguste Durand’s death in 1909, Jacques led the company under the name Éditions Durand & Cie. The business remained family-controlled for more than a century before ownership changed in the late twentieth century. Durand’s catalogue became closely associated with composers including Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Paul Dukas, Gabriel Fauré, Camille Saint-Saëns, Albert Roussel, Florent Schmitt, André Caplet, Olivier Messiaen, Francis Poulenc, Darius Milhaud, André Jolivet, and many other French and European composers. Its publishing activity extended beyond individual works. In 1914, the company introduced the Édition classique Durand & Fils collection, in which established nineteenth-century repertory was revised or edited by prominent composers and musicians. The catalogue also included theoretical treatises, biographies and monographs about composers, memoirs by Jacques Durand, and other forms of musicological literature. The company also supported the circulation of music through performance activity. Under Jacques Durand, it organized chamber-music concerts and, on some occasions, orchestral concerts designed to promote composers represented in its catalogue. These events took place during the 1910s and again in 1927, illustrating the broader role historically played by music publishers in commissioning, presenting, and marketing new repertory. The present brand name reflects the consolidation of three historically independent publishing houses. Éditions Salabert was established in 1878 by Édouard Salabert and was subsequently managed by his son Francis Salabert. Éditions Eschig was founded in 1907 by Max Eschig. Durand acquired Eschig and Amphion in 1987 and later obtained the classical-music catalogue of Le Rideau Rouge in the early 1990s. In 2000, BMG acquired the business and combined Durand with Salabert, creating the Durand-Salabert-Eschig identity. Since 2007, the company has been part of Universal Music Publishing Group. Today, the brand represents a substantial historical and contemporary repertoire rather than a conventional consumer product line. Its activities center on the administration, licensing, publication, distribution, and preservation of musical works and scores. The catalogue combines canonical French repertoire, twentieth-century works, contemporary composition, and holdings inherited from the Salabert and Eschig publishing traditions. Although public information about current executives, financial performance, and detailed operational structure is limited, the company remains associated with the international professional music-publishing ecosystem.
History
Éditions Durand was founded in Paris on 30 December 1869 by Auguste Durand and Louis Schönewerk. The company’s first premises were at 4 Place de la Madeleine, a location connected with its acquisition of Éditions Flaxland, a Strasbourg-linked publisher founded around 1860. During the partnership with Schönewerk, the firm traded as Éditions Durand-Schönewerk & Cie and carried a broad catalogue that included nineteenth-century European repertory. The company’s legal and managerial identity changed as the Durand family became more closely involved. On 19 November 1891, after Auguste Durand’s son Jacques joined the business, it adopted the name Éditions A. Durand & Fils. Jacques succeeded his father in 1909, and from 23 December of that year the company was known as Éditions Durand & Cie. He was associated first with his cousin Gaston Choisnel and, after Choisnel’s death in 1921, with another cousin, René Dommange. Jacques Durand directed the business until his death in 1928; René Dommange then led it until 1977, followed by Guy Kaufmann from 1977 to 1982. Durand became a significant publisher of French art music. Its catalogue included works by Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Dukas, Saint-Saëns, Roussel, Poulenc, Milhaud, Messiaen, Jolivet, Ibert, Caplet, Florent Schmitt, and many other composers. It also undertook a major edition of the complete works of Jean-Philippe Rameau, initially under the direction of Camille Saint-Saëns, although the project was interrupted in 1918. In 1914, the company launched Édition classique Durand & Fils, a collection of revised editions of nineteenth-century works. The project involved leading musicians such as Paul Dukas, Claude Debussy, Florent Schmitt, Maurice Ravel, Albert Roussel, and Gabriel Fauré as editors or revisers. The publishing house’s work extended into music education and scholarship. It issued theoretical works including treatises on harmony, orchestration, composition, and transposition. Its Littérature musicale series presented monographs on composers and particular compositions, while Jacques Durand published memoirs concerning his work as a music publisher. The company also promoted its catalogue through concerts. Under Jacques Durand, chamber concerts and occasional orchestral concerts were organized in 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, and 1927. Durand was a family business until 1982, when Jean-Manuel de Scarano became director. The firm later expanded through acquisitions. In 1987 it acquired Max Eschig and Amphion. Max Eschig, founded in 1907 by Max Eschig, had developed as an important publisher of twentieth-century music. In the early 1990s, Durand also acquired the classical catalogue of Le Rideau Rouge. The modern three-name identity emerged after BMG acquired the company in 2000 and combined it with Salabert. Éditions Salabert had been founded in 1878 by Édouard Salabert and was later managed by his son Francis Salabert. The resulting Durand-Salabert-Eschig brand therefore brought together three historically distinct French publishing traditions. Since 2007, it has operated within Universal Music Publishing Group. The business is now best understood as a specialist catalogue and rights-management publisher with an unusually deep concentration in French classical, modernist, twentieth-century, and contemporary repertoire.
- 2007
Integration into Universal Music Publishing Group
[1]The business becomes part of Universal Music Publishing Group.
- 2000
BMG creates the Durand-Salabert-Eschig identity
[1]BMG acquires Durand and combines it with Salabert under the three-name publishing brand.
- 1987
Acquisitions of Eschig and Amphion
[1]Durand acquires Max Eschig and Amphion, materially enlarging its catalogue.
- 1982
Jean-Manuel de Scarano takes leadership
[1]Jean-Manuel de Scarano becomes director as the business moves beyond direct family management.
- 1977
Guy Kaufmann becomes director
[1]Kaufmann succeeds René Dommange as director during the final period of family ownership.
- 1914
Édition classique Durand & Fils launches
[1]Durand introduces a collection of revised editions of nineteenth-century repertoire prepared by prominent composers and musicians.
- 1907
Éditions Eschig is established
[1]Max Eschig founds the publishing house that later becomes part of the consolidated Durand catalogue.
- 1891
The firm becomes Éditions A. Durand & Fils
[1]Jacques Durand joins his father and the company changes its corporate name.
- 1869
Éditions Durand is founded
[1]Auguste Durand and Louis Schönewerk establish the Parisian music publisher. The company also acquires Éditions Flaxland during its first year.
Products and positioning
A specialist, heritage-led music publisher positioned around authoritative French and European classical repertoire, long-term composer relationships, contemporary composition, score publication, and international rights administration.
Classical music publishing · 1869
Durand classical and modernist catalogue
The core Durand catalogue contains scores by major French and European composers, including Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Dukas, Saint-Saëns, Roussel, Poulenc, Milhaud, Messiaen, and others. It spans piano, chamber, vocal, orchestral, and stage repertory and remains the principal historical foundation of the brand.
Critical and performing editions · 1914
Édition classique Durand & Fils
Introduced in 1914, this collection presented nineteenth-century works in editions revised by leading musicians. Its contributors included Paul Dukas, Claude Debussy, Florent Schmitt, Maurice Ravel, Albert Roussel, and Gabriel Fauré, giving the series both practical performance value and historical importance.
Music publishing · 1878
Salabert catalogue
The Salabert business, founded in 1878, contributed a separate French publishing tradition to the consolidated brand. Its inherited holdings broaden the group beyond the traditional Durand classical catalogue into additional twentieth-century, contemporary, theatrical, and related musical repertory.
Twentieth-century and contemporary music publishing · 1907
Eschig catalogue
Founded by Max Eschig in 1907 and acquired by Durand in 1987, the Eschig catalogue adds important twentieth-century and contemporary works to the consolidated publishing portfolio.
Educational and scholarly publishing
Music theory and musicological publications
Durand historically published works on harmony, orchestration, composition, and transposition, along with composer monographs, studies of individual compositions, and publishing memoirs. These publications supported the educational and scholarly infrastructure surrounding its musical catalogue.
Marketing campaigns
- 1914Édition classique Durand & Fils
France · International classical-music markets
Durand launched a major edition series devoted to nineteenth-century repertoire, using revisions and editorial work by prominent composers and musicians.
Outcome. The series strengthened Durand’s role as both a publisher of new music and a curator of established classical repertory.
- 1910Durand composer-promotion concerts
France
Under Jacques Durand, the publisher organized chamber-music performances to promote composers represented in its catalogue. Similar events continued in 1911, 1912, 1913, and later in 1927.
Outcome. The concerts linked score publication with live performance and helped present catalogue composers to Parisian audiences.
Brand decisions
2007
Join Universal Music Publishing GroupM&ABackground
Following the BMG period, the business became part of a larger international music-publishing organization.
Action taken
Durand-Salabert-Eschig was incorporated into Universal Music Publishing Group.
Aftermath
The brand and its catalogues continued within Universal’s global publishing network.
2000
Combine Durand and Salabert under BMG ownershipM&ABackground
The Durand and Salabert publishing houses had developed as separate historical businesses.
Action taken
BMG acquired Durand and merged it with Salabert, creating the Durand-Salabert-Eschig identity.
Aftermath
The combination unified three important French publishing traditions within one catalogue platform.
1990
Acquire the classical catalogue of Le Rideau RougeM&ABackground
Durand continued consolidating specialist music-publishing assets in the early 1990s.
Action taken
The company acquired the classical-music catalogue of Le Rideau Rouge.
Aftermath
The transaction added further classical repertoire to Durand’s holdings.
1987
Acquire Max Eschig and AmphionM&ABackground
Durand sought to expand its music-publishing holdings beyond its established catalogue.
Action taken
The company acquired the publishers Max Eschig and Amphion.
Aftermath
The acquisitions broadened the catalogue and contributed to the later three-name Durand-Salabert-Eschig structure.
Recent events
- 2007
Durand-Salabert-Eschig becomes part of Universal Music Publishing Group[1]
M&A
The publishing business became part of Universal Music Publishing Group, where the consolidated brand and catalogues continued under a global music-publishing structure.
- 2000
BMG acquires and combines Durand with Salabert[1]
M&A
BMG bought the company and merged the Durand and Salabert businesses under the Durand-Salabert-Eschig identity.
- 1990
Durand acquires the classical catalogue of Le Rideau Rouge[1]
M&A
During the early 1990s, Durand added the classical-music catalogue of Le Rideau Rouge.
- 1987
Durand acquires Eschig and Amphion[1]
M&A
The company expanded its music-publishing catalogue by acquiring the publishers Max Eschig and Amphion.
- 1869
Éditions Durand is established in Paris[1]
Other
Auguste Durand and Louis Schönewerk founded the publishing house that became the core of the later Durand-Salabert-Eschig business.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/éditions-durand · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled