hungarian center
for early music

The results of the collaboration between the Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music Foundation and the National Széchényi Library
8 November 2024

It is the stated intention and mission of Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music Foundation to revitalize, as soon as possible, the music and musicological heritage found in Hungary, of significant cultural value, created between 1600 and 1850, and that this should – if possible – take place in Hungary. The National Széchényi Library, as the national library of Hungary, preserves many such outstandingly important documents, and in this interest an agreement of cooperation was signed between the two institutions in 2022.

The Esterházy collection preserved in the Theatre History and Music Collection is one of the library’s most valuable treasures. It represents the finest pieces of the one-time sheet music archive established as a consequence of the generous patronage of the arts practised by members of the princely family (among others, Paul Anton Esterházy, Nikolaus ‘The Magnificent’ Esterházy and Nikolaus II, Prince Esterházy). The collection includes original manuscripts and contemporaneous manuscript copies of works by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), Gregor Joseph Werner (1693-1766), Michael Haydn (1737-1806), and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736-1809), furthermore, manuscript sources of the Italian opera repertoire performed in Eszterháza opera house. As part of the collaboration, sources dating from 1680 to 1850 deriving from the noble Esterházy and other residential, church and city archives of scores, preserved in the Music Collection of the national library, are similarly being revitalized.

In the course of work, Haydneum members of staff examine and categorize each and every manuscript. In order to facilitate the collaboration, the foundation has delegated two photographers and two restorers to the library who, after categorization, photograph and restore the material. Once digitization is completed modern scores are published from selected works, and then the general public can enjoy them at festivals, concerts and on recordings.

Given their music history significance, the emphasis was placed on the works of Gregor Joseph Werner, who as Joseph Haydn’s predecessor worked in the service of the Esterházy family at Kismarton. Categorization and digitization started with his works. The programme of the closing concert of the 2nd Haydneum Festival of Sacred Music (June 2023) comprised exclusively works by Werner, which can be found in the Music Collection of the National Széchényi Library.

The first digitized manuscripts were completed in December 2022. Since then, more than 1000 library pressmarks have been photographed (nearly 90,000 pages); the entire Gregor Joseph Werner and Michael Haydn material is complete. Modern sheet music has been created from more than 200 manuscripts.

The joint work continues apace. In addition to the already mentioned Gregor Joseph Werner, at present particular attention is being given to the manuscripts of Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, and in the coming months his works will receive greater emphasis among the activities of Haydneum.

The digitisation centre of the National Széchényi Library (OSZK), which has the largest and most modern equipment among the public collections of Central Europe, has been operational for a year. In connection with the inauguration of the centre, the OSZK and the Haydneum – Hungarian Early Music Centre have entered into a cooperation agreement, which has resulted in more than 20 000 digitised pages of music.

The aim of the collaboration is to process, exploit and revitalise the significant cultural, musical and musicological heritage of Hungary dating from 1600 to 1850.

Because of its enormous importance in the history of music, the two institutions were the first to work in depth on the works of Gregor Joseph Werner (Ms. Mus. III.): to date, 273 Werner volumes have been processed.
All the tools are available to digitise all types of documents in the holdings of the OSZK. The digitisation process is preceded by a pre-selection and a condition survey, which first of all examines the content and condition of the documents.

Digitisation is ongoing and a recent major achievement is the completion of the Ms. Mus. II. collection with 118 Michael Haydn volumes, which has now exceeded 20,000 digitised pages, a figure previously unthinkable. Ensuring the preservation of the original documents for posterity is an important part of the collaboration, and the library attaches great importance to their restoration.

Besides working on the Esterházy collection, our staff have begun processing other residential, church and city sheet music (Ms. mus. IV.), which includes pieces by other composers.

Modern scores of 37 Werner volumes have now been produced (and the list goes on), and the audience will be able to hear a selection of these at the closing concert of the II. Haydneum Festival of Sacred Music. These are the first works to have been through all the stages of the process (cataloguing, digitisation, restoration, modern scoring, performance/recording), and the main mission of the collaboration between the two institutions seems to be fulfilled: to bring back to the public works that have not been heard for centuries.

10,000 digitized pages: first milestone in the collaboration between the National Széchényi Library and Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music

The digitization centre of the National Széchényi Library (OSZK) has been functioning for one year. It boasts the largest and most modern equipment of any Central European public collection. Tying in with the inauguration of the centre, the OSZK and Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music signed an agreement, the fruit of which is these first 10,000 pages, something we can all be proud of.
The objective of this collaboration is the processing of material of considerable cultural, music and musicological significance dating from 1600 to 1850 and found in Hungary, making them utilizable and revitalizable.
Inter-institutional work is conducted in the new digitization centre of the national library, building on the fact that one of the most valuable resources of the OSZK Theatre and Music Department is the Esterházy collection, in which one finds manuscript scores by 18th and 19th century composers including Haydn, Werner and Albrechtsberger.
Given their enormous significance in the history of music, the works of Gregor Joseph Werner were the first to be dealt with in detail by the two institutions: a review of the project and preparations started in August 2022, and digitization began in October 2022. To date, 222 Werner volumes have been processed and 10,000 digitized pages have been finalized, something inconceivable earlier.

All equipment necessary for the full digitization of document types in the OSZK archives has been put at the disposal of the team working on this project. This supply provides the opportunity for mass digitization and online service support. The capacity of the currently available digitization equipment is 10 million pages a year. Prior to digitization, material is selected and assessed, in the framework of which priority is given to an examination of the content and physical state of the documents.
Two types of digitization, mass and manufactured, are carried out in the centre, affecting documents requiring enhanced stock care. In time, modern score publications will be published from the material already processed and to-be processed by Haydneum. This in turn will require further considerable research in the fields of linguistics, musical and historical interpretation. One of the principal goals of the institution is that through the modern editions, these works – not played for several centuries – should find their way into the concert halls of today and, thanks to performances and recordings, come to the attention of not only the music profession but a broader general public, too.
The emphasis remains on Werner in the first half of 2023, but parallel with this experts will also start processing other parts of the legacy. The 10,000 pages digitized so far represent just the first chapter in the professional work that every day enhances the cultural abundance of our age in the digital space.

Cooperation between the National Széchényi Library and the Haydneum

The National Széchényi Library's Digitisation Centre has been inaugurated, marking the beginning of a major collaboration between the National Széchényi Library and the Haydneum.

The National Széchényi Library has today inaugurated the largest and most modern digitisation facility of any public collection in Central Europe, capable of digitising 10 million pages per year and all types of documents in the library.

The aim of the collaboration between the OSZK and the Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music is to use the new digitisation centre to process, with the participation of Haydneum staff, musical and musicological remains of great cultural value from 1600 to 1850 in Hungary.

The Esterházy Collection, one of the most valuable holdings of the OSZK’s theatre and music library, contains manuscript scores of composers from the 18th to 19th centuries, including Haydn, Werner, Albrechtsberger and others. In the course of the cooperation, we plan to make the Early music scores and documents preserved in the OSZK available in digital form, and in line with our basic mission, these newly discovered works will soon be available in concert halls and on recordings, so that they can be presented to the general public.

11.02.2022

Research

Research lies at the heart of the Haydneum’s work to rediscover and popularise and is integrally linked to training and performance

Under the direction of a scientific committee made up of experts in Hungarian-linked Baroque, Viennese Classical and early romantic musical life, research will be organised in the form of study areas and ambitious years-long research projects which will be supplemented by aspects of historical, social, musicological and performance practice and will lead in turn to the organisation of seminars, courses and conferences and the publication of digitised source material, books and scores. We are also offering scholarships to students who are committed to studying this repertoire.

Istvánffy: Conforto Aria Offertorium


CONTACT:

info@haydneum.com

Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music Foundation is supported by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Bethlen Gábor Fund Management.

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