Casa editrice Tito Belati

Casa editrice Tito Belati is an Italian music publishing house founded in Foggia in 1900 by the composer and bandmaster Tito Belati. It is one of the country's longest-standing publishers dedicated to the wind band repertoire, producing scores and, from the 1920s, separate instrumental parts ('parti levate') that allowed each player to read from an individual sheet rather than hand-copying from a full score. The firm moved its headquarters to Perugia in 1905 and, until about 1930, also operated a musical instrument workshop that supplied affordable wind instruments to bands across Umbria and Italy. Its historic seat was Palazzo Calderini in what is now Piazza Italia, Perugia, where offices and the instrument workshop were transferred in 1909. After a commercial agreement with Casa Editrice Vidale, the headquarters moved to Milan in the 1970s before returning to Ponte San Giovanni, a frazione of Perugia, in the 1980s, where it remains today on Via Giuseppe Lunghi. The company is still run by the Belati family, currently by Mario Belati, grandson of the founder. Its catalogue covers band music, and it has published the periodical 'L'Amico dei bandisti' (1911–1915) and maintained an active role in the Italian band movement.

The Casa editrice Tito Belati was founded in Foggia in 1900 by Tito Belati, a composer and bandmaster who had directed the Regimental Band of the 35th Infantry of the Royal Italian Army stationed in Foggia. In June 1905 the headquarters moved to Perugia, beginning a long Umbrian tradition of music composition and publishing. The founder, originally from San Martino in Colle, soon left his military career to devote himself to the publishing house, which until 1930 also operated a well-known musical instrument factory. The instruments, mostly wind, were of good workmanship and sold at accessible prices, achieving considerable circulation among bands in Umbria and nationally. The first Perugia office was in Borgo XX Giugno, but the historic seat is Palazzo Calderini in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele (now Piazza Italia), where in 1909 the offices and the adjoining instrument-making workshop were transferred. In the 1970s the headquarters moved to Milan following a commercial agreement with Casa Editrice Vidale, then returned in the 1980s to Ponte San Giovanni (a frazione of Perugia) on Via Giuseppe Lunghi, where it is still located today. The innovation that led to strong expansion in the 1920s was the development of printing 'parti levate' — the individual parts each player places on the music stand. Before then, these sheets were handwritten by individual bandmasters who copied them by hand from the collective score, which was the only item sold by publishers of the time. In 1911 Maestro Tito Belati sought to build loyalty among customers and suppliers by creating a new communication tool: a company newspaper titled 'L'Amico dei bandisti', printed until 1915. Nationally recognised, it became an important forum for debates on the Italian band situation. In many cases the magazine proposed composition competitions, awarding winners not only publication but also inclusion of the title in the Perugia publishing house's catalogue. The firm is now run by Mario Belati, grandson of the founder and a retired public administration official, the last descendant of the family.

• 1980

  Headquarters returned to Ponte San Giovanni, Perugia, on Via Giuseppe Lunghi.

• 1970

  Headquarters moved to Milan following commercial agreement with Casa Editrice Vidale.

• 1930

  Instrument manufacturing activity ceases.

• 1920

  Development of printing 'parti levate' (individual instrumental parts) drives expansion.

• 1911

  Company newspaper 'L'Amico dei bandisti' launched, printed until 1915.

• 1909

  Offices and instrument workshop transferred to Palazzo Calderini, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele (now Piazza Italia), Perugia.

• 1905

  Headquarters moved to Perugia.

• 1900

  Founded in Foggia by Tito Belati.

Specialist publisher for wind bands, with a long tradition in the Italian band movement.

• Band sheet music

  Scores and individual parts for wind bands.

• Parti levate

  Individual instrumental parts printed for each player, an innovation from the 1920s.

• Wind instruments

  Manufactured until about 1930, sold at accessible prices.

1. 1Casa Editrice Belati Tito – Official websiteeditricetitobelati.it
2. 2Tito Belati (casa editrice) – Wikipediait.wikipedia.org
3. 3Casa editrice Tito Belati – Wikidatawikidata.org