The Art of Copying
The Conservatory Library owns several autograph manuscripts of Italian operas. These manuscripts are extremely interesting because they have been written by the composers themselves. Most of the manuscripts from the collection were written by copyists. These were made from the autograph manuscript or another copy. The task of a copyist was to make a correct, easily legible and useable copy. In most cases the copyist is anonymous and the copies are simple and sparsely decorated. There are of course exceptions. A few manuscripts are decorated with beautify initials, such as La forza d’amore of Bernardo Pasquini (1637-1710), a miniature opera with only three characters: the pastoral couple Silvio and Filli and the goddess of the hunt Nise. Each act begins with a decorated letter. The walnut ink has sadly bled over the years.
Giminiano Giacomelli’s Cesare in Egitto from 1735 was the most successful of his nineteen operas. This manuscript from the collection of Jules De Glimes is the only known complete copy of this opera. The library owns at least thirteen manuscripts which were made by the same copyist. They all have a title-page with a richly decorated frame full of golden leaf motif or in three cases a more simple version with a sober golden frame. Among the other unique examples are Demofoonte from 1735 by Gaetano Schiassi and Massimiano from 1731 by Giuseppe Orlandini.
Because Italian operas in the baroque period were mostly performed during one season – the next season brought new works to the stage – it made little sense to publish the scores. There was no market for it. This explains why Italian baroque opera only survives in manuscript.