Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s “Kaiserhymne,” Beethoven’s lone concerto for violin, the bequests of Anton Bruckner and Alban Berg – the collection of original manuscripts in the Department of Music sets an international standard. The archive of the former Imperial court orchestra provides a unique insight in the musical life of baroque Vienna. A comprehensive collection of handwritten and printed music from the 16th to the 21st century documents the diversity of Vienna – a cosmopolitan city when it comes to music.

An extensive collection of programmes and a concert database are at the heart of the historical archives, and nearly all objects and documents of the collection stand in direct relation to the Vienna Philharmonic. The stock covers: 7,000 programs, 6,500 letters (Berg, Bernstein, Brahms, Böhm, Bruckner, Dvorák, Hindemith, Mahler, Schönberg, R. Strauss, J. Strauss, et al.), autograph manuscripts (Brahms, Richard Strauss, Pfitzner, et al.), conductor scores, and first editions of scores and orchestra parts.

The digital archive of the Vienna State Opera documents the various histories of singers, operas, roles, and productions to have appeared on its stage since its opening in 1869. This rich resource provides one of the longest and most accessible performance histories of opera, which affords researchers the opportunity to explore the socially constructed creative history of this iconic opera house. Visiting and working in the onsite (analog) archive is a possibility as well.

The archive at the Arnold Schönberg Center houses one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of materials on the life and work of one composer. Throughout the almost 60 years of his artistic life, the greater part of the documentation concerning Schönberg’s oeuvre remained in his possession; after his death, his heirs devoted themselves to keeping his estate intact/ in private hands. The available holdings provide a unique overview of Schönberg’s work, thought and life.