Leoš Janáček, Béla Bartók
Universal-Edition survived the First World War surprisingly well. Operations were maintained even during the war and the first contracts were signed with the following composers: Franz Schmidt (1914), Joseph Marx and Egon Wellesz (1915).
In December 1916, Hertzka concluded a publishing agreement with Leoš Janáček through the mediation of Max Brod, who had himself been in contact with the publishing house since 1910 regarding the acquisition of individual compositions. Janáček initially handed over his opera Jenůfa to the publisher.
Hertzka confirmed his visionary sense in artistic matters with this step as well. One should consider the political situation around 1916. To think of expensive opera plans at that time was simply audacious. In 1917, Béla Bartók, who had been unable to find a publisher in Budapest for years, followed suit. After signing the contract, Bartók wrote enthusiastically to a friend: ‘This is a big deal’.
Even important premieres took place during the First World War. On 30 January 1917, Alexander Zemlinsky's A Florentine Tragedy was launched in Stuttgart. On 25 April 1918, Franz Schreker's opera Die Gezeichneten had its world premiere in Frankfurt. On 24 May 1918, the world premiere of Béla Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle took place in Budapest.
Shortly after the war, the big names continued to sign their first contracts: 1919 Walter Braunfels, 1920 Anton Webern, Zoltán Kodály, 1921 Ernst Krenek, Ottorino Respighi, 1922 Darius Milhaud, Francesco Malipiero, 1923 Alban Berg, Hanns Eisler, 1924 Kurt Weill.
In 1919, the semi-monthly journal Musikblätter des Anbruch (until 1937) was published for the first time, edited by Paul Stefan from the 1922 volume (issue 7) onwards. In 1923 Hans W. Heinsheimer joined the publishing house as head of the stage department. In his memoirs ‘UE – die ersten 37 ½ Jahre’ (UE - the first 37 ½ years) he describes the eventful founding years.
In 1927, Alfred Schlee became a UE employee through Heinsheimer, initially as editor of the quarterly Schrifttanz (1928-1931). He was soon offered the UE representative office in Berlin.