Paul de Wit

Biography

Paul de Wit was born in Maastricht, Holland, on January 4, 1852. He studied the cello under Massart at the conservatory of Liège (Luettich) and showed decided talent, but his parents objected to an artistic career and made him conduct a wholesale wine business at Aachen; finding the cello more compelling than commerce, he sold his interest in 1878 and moved to Leipsic, where he joined the music publisher C. F. Kahnt and met Liszt, von Bülow and Carl Riedel. With Oscar Laffert he founded the trade journal "Die Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau" in 1880; when Laffert retired in 1886, de Wit became sole proprietor, and the journal grew into one of the most influential trade papers in Germany. An enthusiastic collector, de Wit combed the Continent for old instruments abandoned in storehouses, barns, garrets and cellars, employing the repairer Hermann Seyffarth to restore his finds. His first collection of 450 instruments was bought in 1889 by the Prussian government for the Berlin Academy, later supplemented with J. S. Bach's own grand piano (1891); his second collection, nearly 1,200 instruments, was bought by Wilhelm Heyer of Cologne. De Wit also published the "Katalog des Musikhistorischen Museums" (1904) and an illustrated album, "Perlen aus der Instrumenten Sammlung" (1892). A photograph shows him tuning a clavichord. Paul de Wit established the 'Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau' at Leipsic in 1880, which achieved a wide circulation throughout Europe. He also compiled and published the 'Welt-Adressbuch' of musical industries, described as a most valuable reference book containing the names of all firms connected in any way with musical industries in all parts of the world. Paul De Wit of Leipsic (Leipzig) is named by Dolge as the owner of one of several notable collections of old instruments in which specimens of the old Italian and Flemish school, some decorated with paintings by master artists, can be found. No further detail about him is given in this passage. Paul de Wit is thanked by name in Alfred Dolge's foreword among ten men credited with 'kind and valuable assistance' that supplied the book with important data. No further biographical detail, occupation, or company affiliation is given in this portion of the text.

Highlights

• Thanked by name in Dolge's foreword for 'kind and valuable assistance' supplying data used in the book.
• Owned a notable collection of old instruments in Leipsic (Leipzig), including specimens of the old Italian and Flemish school
• Established the 'Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau' at Leipsic in 1880, with wide circulation across Europe
• Compiled and published the 'Welt-Adressbuch' of musical industries, listing firms in the trade worldwide
• Founded the trade journal "Die Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau" in 1880 with Oscar Laffert, becoming sole proprietor in 1886
• Assembled two major instrument collections; the first (450 instruments) was bought by the Prussian government in 1889 for the Berlin Academy, later augmented with J. S. Bach's grand piano; the second (nearly 1,200 instruments) was bought by Wilhelm Heyer of Cologne
• Published the "Katalog des Musikhistorischen Museums" (1904) and the illustrated album "Perlen aus der Instrumenten Sammlung" (1892)

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 418, 427, 429.

Public domain.