Miłosz Kula

The Collection of Manuscripts of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s Symphonies from Sächsische Landes bibliothek—Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden

Dresden played no role in Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s life, but history made this city one of the most significant places regarding preserved sources of his works. In the Department of Special Collections (German: Sondersammlungen) of the Sächsische Landesbibliothek—Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek in Dresden (English: Saxon State and University Library Dresden, abbr.: SLUB), there are, among others, more than thirty archival sources containing Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s symphonies. That makes it the third richest collection of symphonic works by this composer. The majority of them comes from court’s theatre of Duke Frederick August Braunschweig-Oels in Oels (Öls, Polish: Oleśnica). It is one of the most representative collections of Dittersdorf’s symphonies from all known archives. There are several composer’s autographs, partial autographs, a large variety of works from all periods of his activity, and a few unique copies of symphonies as well. A minor body of Dittersdorf’s symphonies comes from two different sources, until recently unknown. One group is the set of partbooks (contemporary with Dittersdorf), including—apart from Dittersdorf’s works—several dozen movements of serenades, symphonies, string quartets etc. of G.B. Sammartini, J.G. Graun, J.Ph. Rameau, the Stamitz family and J. Haydn, apparently used in performances on the occasion of court activities, not in concerts. The second, from 1860s, is the set of scores, prepared by C. Mehner.

The Condition of the Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s Manuscripts in Poland – Reconnaissance

Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739–1799) has been remembered in history of music in the 18th century as a significant contributor in developing singspiel (comic opera) genre and as a composer famous among double bass players because of two double bass concertos. But recent studies brought to the fore information about a variety of his instrumental music. Between the others, there are more than 120 symphonies.

This paper is a report-attempt about present condition of extant Dittersdorf symphonies’ manuscripts, preserved in the contemporary Polish area. There are nine archives and libraries mentioned, where these manuscripts are stored. The richest collection of Dittersdorf’s symphonies is located in Pauline Monastery Archive in Jasna Góra in Częstochowa (PL-CZ), where seventeen manuscripts are stored. All of them preserved in good condition, arisen in last quarter of the 18th century.

Other manuscripts we can find in: Archive of Polish Dominicans Province in Kraków (PL-Kd), Cistercian Abbey in Kraków-Mogiła (PL-MO), Benedictine Abbey in Krzeszów/Grüssau(PL-KRZ), Library of Theological Faculty of Opole University (PL-OPsm), Archdiocesan Archive in Poznań (PL-Pa Muz MM), Diocesan Library in Sandomierz (PL-SA) and Special Collections Department of Wrocław University Library (PL-WRu). There is also a piece of information about the manuscript from Pilica (PL-PIk), presumably lost in recent time, which was one of very few examples Dittersdorf’s manuscripts written in the 19th century.

Dresden played no role in Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s life, but history made this city one of the most significant places regarding preserved sources of his works. In the Department of Special Collections (German: Sondersammlungen) of the Sächsische Landesbibliothek—Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek in Dresden (English: Saxon State and University Library Dresden, abbr.: SLUB), there are, among others, more than thirty archival sources containing Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s symphonies. That makes it the third richest collection of symphonic works by this composer. The majority of them comes from court’s theatre of Duke Frederick August Braunschweig-Oels in Oels (Öls, Polish: Oleśnica). It is one of the most representative collections of Dittersdorf’s symphonies from all known archives. There are several composer’s autographs, partial autographs, a large variety of works from all periods of his activity, and a few unique copies of symphonies as well. A minor body of Dittersdorf’s symphonies comes from two different sources, until recently unknown. One group is the set of partbooks (contemporary with Dittersdorf), including—apart from Dittersdorf’s works—several dozen movements of serenades, symphonies, string quartets etc. of G.B. Sammartini, J.G. Graun, J.Ph. Rameau, the Stamitz family and J. Haydn, apparently used in performances on the occasion of court activities, not in concerts. The second, from 1860s, is the set of scores, prepared by C. Mehner.