early life and career gottfried christoph härtel, a music publisher from leipzig, germany (1763-1827), left an indelible mark on the world of music and art. born in 1763, härtel's early life is not well-documented, but his career as a music publisher is what defines his legacy. rise to prominence in 1796, härtel took over the company breitkopf & härtel from his partner, bernhard christoph breitkopf, who was facing financial difficultie…