Éditions de l'Oiseau-Lyre
Encyclopedia
Éditions de l'Oiseau-Lyre (commonly referred to as L'Oiseau-Lyre) is a music publishing company financed and established in Paris in 1932 by Louise Dyer (later Hanson-Dyer), an Australia
n pianist and philanthropist.
She had settled in France two years earlier and energetically amassed a collection of manuscripts and printed music, lyrics and dissertations of the Early, Baroque and Classical music periods.
"L'Oiseau-Lyre", the French name for the Australian lyrebird
, was chosen by her; the company logo was a representation of the (displaying male) bird's tail.
Her aim was to produce historical editions of European composers of the 15th to 19th Centuries. The first project was an Oeuvres complètes (Complete Works) of François Couperin. No expense was spared in scholarship or printing, and the resulting 12-volume collection was published in 1933, the 200th anniversary of the composer's death. She was appointed chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur
in 1934 in recognition of this achievement.
She moved the company to Monaco
in 1948 after an hiatus attributable to WWII.
Louise died in 1962, and her (second) husband Jeff Hanson continued publication of fine editions, but moved the company's focus to high quality long-playing recordings, typically Baroque harpsichord pieces, the technical side being handled by engineers from the Decca Recording Company
. In 1970, the recording branch was sold to Decca, which continued the label in much the same vein under the direction of Peter Wadland.
Jeff Hanson died the following year but Margarita M. Hanson, his second wife, continued to run the publishing business until 1996. Under her guidance, the 25-volume Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century was published, followed by the Magnus Liber Organi and Le Grand Clavier series, much with the substantial collaboration and financial assistance of the University of Melbourne
. Margarita retired in 1995, and control of the company was passed to Davitt Moroney
, a harpsichordist and music scholar who had been with the firm since 1981.
The Hanson-Dyer collection is now in the Louise Hanson-Dyer Music Library at the University of Melbourne.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pianist and philanthropist.
She had settled in France two years earlier and energetically amassed a collection of manuscripts and printed music, lyrics and dissertations of the Early, Baroque and Classical music periods.
"L'Oiseau-Lyre", the French name for the Australian lyrebird
Lyrebird
A Lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds, that form the genus, Menura, and the family Menuridae. They are most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral coloured...
, was chosen by her; the company logo was a representation of the (displaying male) bird's tail.
Her aim was to produce historical editions of European composers of the 15th to 19th Centuries. The first project was an Oeuvres complètes (Complete Works) of François Couperin. No expense was spared in scholarship or printing, and the resulting 12-volume collection was published in 1933, the 200th anniversary of the composer's death. She was appointed chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 1934 in recognition of this achievement.
She moved the company to Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
in 1948 after an hiatus attributable to WWII.
Louise died in 1962, and her (second) husband Jeff Hanson continued publication of fine editions, but moved the company's focus to high quality long-playing recordings, typically Baroque harpsichord pieces, the technical side being handled by engineers from the Decca Recording Company
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. In 1970, the recording branch was sold to Decca, which continued the label in much the same vein under the direction of Peter Wadland.
Jeff Hanson died the following year but Margarita M. Hanson, his second wife, continued to run the publishing business until 1996. Under her guidance, the 25-volume Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century was published, followed by the Magnus Liber Organi and Le Grand Clavier series, much with the substantial collaboration and financial assistance of the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. Margarita retired in 1995, and control of the company was passed to Davitt Moroney
Davitt Moroney
Davitt Moroney is a British-born and educated musicologist, harpsichordist and organist. His parents were of Irish and Italian extraction – his father was an executive with the Anglo-Dutch Unilever conglomerate...
, a harpsichordist and music scholar who had been with the firm since 1981.
The Hanson-Dyer collection is now in the Louise Hanson-Dyer Music Library at the University of Melbourne.