The regional database of the sources of musical theatre (1870–1920)

One of the most important objectives of the project is to assess the source material documenting the history of the theatres in the region. A part of the historical source material is to be found in music libraries, yet the professional and detailed processing of the material is in most cases still to come. Less processed are these music libraries and collections that are hosted by non-specialized facilities (theatres, museums, archives). These institutions obviously do not and will not be have resources for the cataloguing of the material. This task should be taken over by the musicological research institutes in collaboration with the institutions preserving the sources. The source catalogue accounts for locations and larger source units of the theatrical industry of the researched period and it also contains descriptions of some of the larger inventories. The proposed database of the sources provides for the first time an overview of the region’s source supply. Given that – through the activity of itinerant theatrical companies – a significant part of these music collections was in a constant motion during the period, it would be hardly a realistic approach to explore the material constrained within the current national borders.

To reach the database, click here.