Present and future of Fin-de-siècle composer archives

A volume that contributes to a better perception of composer archives – both in academic research and among the general public Today, the estates of composers from the turn of the last century in most cases enjoy institutional or government protection. Unlike a few decades ago, they are part of public libraries, specially created composer institutes, museums and archives, or they are maintained and enhanced by ‘composer societies’. In autumn 2023, those responsible for such and similar entities met in Locarno to discuss their status quo and, in particular, their future development. Names such as Reger and Busoni, Humperdinck and Lehár, Dvorák and Janácek, Franchetti and Leoncavallo, Saint-Saëns and Sibelius, Beach and Smyth, Zemlinsky and Schreker, Elgar and Delius, Le Beau and Weingartner, as well as Bartók and Szymanowski were all represented. This volume provides empirical values and strategies of long-standing archive officials for a targeted ‘launch’ of forgotten composers; it emphasises the benefits of a skilfully balanced public relations work and an adequate online presence, but also of top-class recordings and high-quality editions as effective instruments for publicising the archived music.