The artists that Italian publisher Ricordi has promoted over more than two centuries of activity left a profound mark on the world of opera and other genres. Now the first part of documents from these archives has been put online and anyone interested can retrace this fascinating story through the treasures of the Archivio Storico Ricordi, the most important private music collection in the world. The digital archives comprise over 400 portraits und 600 stage designs as well as 1000 drawings of Italian operas.
Founded in 1808, it represents the historic legacy of the Ricordi publishing house, which was acquired in 1994 by the German media group Bertelsmann which, henceforth, ensures its conservation and cultural development. The extraordinary importance of the Archivio lays in the variety of its documents, which offer a broad comprehensive reflection of Italian culture, industry and society.
The Archive, housed within the Palazzo di Brera in Milan, collects manuscript scores, letters by composers, librettists and singers, costume and set designs, librettos, historical photographs and Art Nouveau posters.
