The Music Publishing House of Estienne Roger and Michel-Charles Le Cène

A Website by Rudolf Rasch

Esteinne Roger (c. 1662-1722) was one of the most important music publishers in Europe in the first decades of the eighteenth century. He started the business in 1695, together with Jean-Louis De Lorme. The collaboration ended by the end of 1686. The period from 1697 to 1716 is the time of the greatest expansion of the publishing housed, partly achieved also by the take-over of other businesses. From 1716 the publishing house was nominally managed by his younger daughter Jeanne Roger (1701-1722). After the death of both Estienne and Jeanne Roger in 1722 the business was continued by Roger’s son-in-law Michel-Charles Le Cène (1683/4-1743, married to Roger’s elder daughter Françoise, 1694-1722). After Le Cène’s death in 1743 some minor figures tried to continue the business, but to no avail. The year 1748 marked the end of the publishing house.

The following list gives the names of those who managed the publishing house during the (large) half century of its existence:

• 1695-1696 Jean-Louis de Lorme and Estienne Roger
• 1697-1716 Estienne Roger
• 1716-1722 Jeanne Roger
• 1723-1743 Michel-Charles Le Cène
• 1744-1746 Emmanuel-Jean de La Coste
• 1746-1748 Antoine Chareau

Among the major publications of the publishing house can be counted the Concerti grossi Op. 6 by Arcangelo Corelli (1714), Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione Op. 8 (with the famous Four Seasons) by Antonio Vivaldi (1725) and L’arte del violino Op. 3 by Pietro Antonio Locatelli (1733).

The website includes four parts.

Part One is an introductory part, consisting of a number of chapters about the history and the output of the publishing house in general.

Chapter One: Biography

Part Two is a collection of early catalogues of the publishing house and catalogues of other publishers.

Go to Catalogues

Part Three is a collection of documents in relation to the publishing house.

Go to Documents.

Part Four is a complete descriptive catalogue of the editions of the music publishing house of Estienne Roger, including editions by other publishers sold be the Roger publishing house.

Go to The Catalogue.