Journalists from abroad gain insight into music history collaboration with Haydneum

2024/11/11

As part of the 4th Haydneum Autumn Festival, journalists from abroad had the opportunity to gain an insight into the special conservation and digitisation work carried out between the Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music and the national library. The visit took place on 8 November 2024 in the building of the HNMPCC NSZL.
The five journalists from abroad and representatives of the Haydneum were greeted by Csilla Kőrösi, Deputy Head of the Special Collections Division, who gave them an insight into the historical documents in the national library. The Haydneum's staff member, Katalin Kim, also gave the visitors a detailed briefing on the process.

Journalists were able to have a look at the manuscripts of Gregor Joseph Werner and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, which are among the highlights of the Esterházy Collection. The collection contains a uniquely rich musical history material, which has been preserved as a result of the patronage of the Esterházy family.

Under an agreement signed between the Haydneum and the HNMPCC NSZL in 2022, the two institutions will work together to digitise and catalogue the manuscripts and make them available in modern sheet music format.

The Haydneum's mission is to ensure that the musical and musicological treasures of the period between 1600 and 1850 are revitalised as soon as possible, and that this is done in Hungary. Among these, the national library preserves documents of outstanding importance.

Thanks to this cooperation, the digitisation of the unique manuscripts is under way, with nearly 1,000 library records (90,000 pages) photographed so far this year. More than 200 manuscripts have been turned into modern scores, many of which have been performed at Haydneum festivals and concerts. The aim of the project is not only to preserve Hungarian and European musical traditions, but also to make them widely known.

Through the Haydneum project, the works of Gregor Joseph Werner and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger will continue to receive special attention. In the coming months, the focus will be on these manuscripts, ensuring that the music of the period not only remains a historical treasure, but also an active part of today's musical life.

Highly successful cooperation between the national library and the Haydneum