The Growing Importance of Archives for Performers and Publishers (not just Historians): The Case of the Archivio Storico Ricordi

Abstract

While archives of musical sources have long been recognised as vital resources for such editorial undertakings as the reconstruction of 'early-or-interim' versions of works, the preparation of critical editions, and the like, archives of collateral material (such as correspondence, photographs, staging materials, etc.) have normally been viewed as having relevance for historians or biographers, but much less so for those involved in producing optimal (or even simply 'optimised') editions of scores. [...]