16 April 2025
Thanks to the professional collaboration between Haydneum and the National Széchényi Library of the Hungarian Museum of Music History, more than 800 manuscript musical works have become available online.
Over the past few years, one of Haydneum’s most important professional partners has been the National Széchényi Library of the Hungarian Museum of Music History (MNMKK OSZK). Since 2022, the two institutions have been working together to digitize the Esterházy collection, as well as numerous other Hungarian residential, urban, and church music libraries. Through this collaboration, more than 800 manuscript musical works have become available online.
The newly released material features works by a total of thirty-five composers, including Joseph Haydn and other prominent contemporaries such as Gregor Joseph Werner, Michael Haydn, Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, and Franz Xaver Süssmayr. The collection is particularly remarkable because it also contains historical copies of works by internationally renowned composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and Domenico Scarlatti.
Haydneum staff are responsible for cataloging, restoring, and photographing the materials, and preparing modern editions, which are then performed in Haydneum concerts and recordings. Tamás Mészáros, Head of the Collection Preservation Department at MNMKK OSZK, announced that these special documents are now accessible in high resolution to anyone via the Copia digital platform, serving not only musicological research but also education and public outreach. “When a public collection can connect with the performing arts in this way, it’s fantastic,” said Mészáros.
Dávid Rózsa, Director General of MNMKK OSZK, could not attend the event due to official commitments, but in his message he emphasized that the Esterházy project is a model example of partnership between public collections and performing arts institutions. As a result of this collaboration, previously unknown works have been presented to the public—often for the first time in centuries. Haydneum proudly embraces its proactive and active role in this exemplary project, which rightfully brings the values of Hungary’s musical past into the present.
COPIA DIGITIZED MANUSCRIPTS: WWW.COPIA.OSZK.HU
8 November 2024
The Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music Foundation is committed to and dedicated to the revitalization of Hungarian musical and musicological heritage created between 1600 and 1850, particularly works of significant cultural value, ideally within Hungary itself. Among these, the National Széchényi Library, as Hungary’s national library, preserves exceptionally important documents. In 2022, a cooperation agreement was established between the two institutions to this end.
The library holds several thousand volumes of manuscripts, with the Esterházy Collection occupying a particularly prominent place. This collection has survived thanks to the generous patronage of members of the noble Esterházy family, including Pál Esterházy, Pál Antal Esterházy, and “Fényes” Miklós Esterházy. The legacy includes original manuscripts and handwritten copies of works by Gregor Joseph Werner (1693–1766), Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), Michael Haydn (1737–1806), and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736–1809). In addition to the Esterházy Collection, the Library’s Music Collection preserves numerous other Hungarian residential, urban, and church music libraries, which are also being revitalized as part of the collaboration.
During the project, Haydneum staff handle and catalog each manuscript individually. To facilitate the collaboration, the Foundation has assigned two photographers and two restorers to the library to photograph and restore the materials after cataloging. Following digitization, selected works are edited into modern editions, which are then performed at festivals, concerts, and on recordings.
Due to its musicological significance, special emphasis has been placed on the works of Gregor Joseph Werner, who worked as Haydn’s predecessor in Eisenstadt under the Esterházy family. Cataloging and digitization began with his works. At the closing concert of the 2nd Haydneum Sacred Music Festival in June 2023, only works by Werner from the National Széchényi Library’s Music Collection were performed.
The first digitized manuscripts were completed in December 2022. Since then, over 1,000 library shelfmarks have been photographed (nearly 90,000 pages), and the complete works of Gregor Joseph Werner, Michael Haydn, and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger have been digitized. More than 200 manuscripts have been prepared as modern editions.
The collaboration continues at full speed. In addition to Gregor Joseph Werner, Johann Georg Albrechtsberger’s manuscripts are now receiving particular attention, and in the coming period, his works will play a more prominent role in Haydneum’s activities.
25 May 2023
The aim of the collaboration is to process, make usable, and revitalize significant cultural, musical, and musicological heritage created between 1600 and 1850 that can be found in Hungary.
Due to their enormous musicological importance, the two institutions first focused in depth on the works of Gregor Joseph Werner (Ms. Mus. III. shelfmark range); to date, 273 Werner volumes have been processed. All necessary tools are available for the comprehensive digitization of the document types held by OSZK. Prior to digitization, a pre-selection and condition assessment is carried out, during which the content and condition of the documents are examined first.
Digitization is ongoing. A recent major milestone was the photographing of the Ms. Mus. II. shelfmark range, comprising 118 Michael Haydn volumes, which brought the total number of digitized pages to over 20,000—an achievement previously unimaginable. An important part of the collaboration is ensuring the preservation of the original documents for future generations, which is why the library also places great emphasis on their restoration.
In addition to the Esterházy Collection, our staff have begun processing other residential, church, and urban music library materials (Ms. Mus. IV.), which include works by further composers.
Modern editions have already been prepared from 37 Werner volumes (and the series, of course, continues), excerpts of which can be heard by the audience at the closing concert of the Haydneum Sacred Music Festival. These are the first works to go through every stage of the processing workflow—cataloging, digitization, restoration, modern edition preparation, and performance/recording—demonstrating the main mission of the collaboration between the two institutions: to bring works unheard for centuries back to the public.
31 March 2023
The digitization center of the National Széchényi Library (OSZK) has been fully operational for a year and is equipped with the largest and most modern facilities among Central European public collections. In connection with the opening of the center, OSZK and Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music established a collaboration, the fruit of which is the first 10,000 digitized pages—a milestone that everyone can be proud of.
The aim of the collaboration is to process, make usable, and revitalize significant cultural, musical, and musicological heritage created between 1600 and 1850 that can be found in Hungary.
The inter-institutional work is carried out in the National Library’s new digitization center, building on the fact that one of the most valuable parts of the OSZK Theatre History and Music Collection is the Esterházy Collection, which contains manuscript scores by 18th–19th century composers, including Haydn, Werner, and Albrechtsberger.
Due to their enormous musicological importance, the two institutions first focused in depth on the works of Gregor Joseph Werner: in August 2022, the review and preparation began, followed by digitization in October 2022. To date, 222 Werner volumes have been processed, achieving the milestone of 10,000 digitized pages—previously unimaginable.
All necessary tools are available for the comprehensive digitization of the document types held by OSZK. This equipment enables large-scale digitization as well as support for online services. The current capacity of the digitization equipment is 10 million pages per year. Prior to digitization, a pre-selection and condition assessment is conducted, during which the content and condition of the documents are examined.
The center carries out two types of digitization: mass digitization and manual digitization, the latter for documents requiring greater preservation care. From the materials processed by Haydneum so far, and those to be processed in the future, modern editions will eventually be prepared. This will involve further work for our researchers in linguistic, musical, and historical interpretation. One of the main objectives of the institution is that, through modern editions, these works—unperformed for centuries—will reach today’s concert halls, allowing not only the professional music community but also the general public to experience them through performances and recordings.
In the first half of 2023, the focus remains on Werner, but simultaneously, experts will begin processing the rest of the collection. The 10,000 digitized pages to date are just the beginning of the professional work that continues to enrich our contemporary cultural wealth in the digital space.
11 February 2022
The digitization center of the National Széchényi Library has been inaugurated, marking the simultaneous launch of the highly significant collaboration between OSZK and Haydneum.
A project of outstanding significance and scale was inaugurated today: the National Széchényi Library now boasts the largest and most modern equipment among Central European public collections, capable of digitizing 10 million pages annually and suitable for all types of documents held in the library.
The aim of the collaboration between OSZK and Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music is to process Hungary’s significant cultural, musical, and musicological heritage created between 1600 and 1850, with the participation of Haydneum staff, using the new digitization center.
One of the most valuable parts of the OSZK Theatre History and Music Collection is the Esterházy Collection, which contains manuscript scores by 18th–19th century composers, including Haydn, Werner, and Albrechtsberger. Through this collaboration, we plan to make the early music scores and documents preserved at OSZK digitally accessible. In line with our core mission, these newly rediscovered works will soon be performed in concert halls and recorded, allowing the general public to experience them as well.
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