Libretto Portal

Currently the platform offers access to two important libretto collections which have been catalogued and digitized in respective projects supported by the German Research Foundation.

• Her collection of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
  The Her collection of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek comprises around 5,700 titles with libretti in 5,555 volumes, thus forming part of the world's largest comprehensive collections of libretti. The collection goes back to the artist and man of independent means Christian Her (1815 – 1892). The repertory comprises mainly opera libretti, but also over 430 libretti of oratories and around 350 ballet libretti. The time frame ranges from the 17th century to the second half of the 19th century, with a clear emphasis on the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Her collected libretti predominantly of performances at stages in the German-language area, the main locations being Munich, Berlin and Vienna.
  

• Libretto collection of the German Historical Institute in Rome
  In 1979, the DHI (Deutsches Historisches Institut) in Rome bought the libretto collection of the musicologist Remo Giazotto (1910 – 1998), which was made possible by the financial support of the German Research Foundation. The collection of enormous historical importance comprises 1,162 libretti from the 17th to the 19th century, among them in particular 655 libretti of almost all opera performances of all theatres in Venice from 1637 to 1734. Many of the libretti of the Giazotto collection are one of a kind. Together with 276 libretti that were continuously acquired by the library of the DHI, they form the shelf mark groups "Rar.Libr" and "Libr.". Another 200 libretti were given to the library as a present in 2006.