Bibliorarities 2008-2009
The Conservatory Library's Special Collections are the focus of the year-long series of exhibits, Bibliorarities. The exhibits are on view in the cases adjacent to the Conservatory Library's Circulation Area during all opening hours.
October-November 2008
In commemoration of two hundred years since the composition and premiere of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, we are pleased to display this facsimile of the autograph found in the Staatsbibliothek Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
November-December 2008
Saint Hildegard’s Symphonia armonie celestium
This facsimile features the portion of the Riesencodex located in the Hessischen Landesbibliothek, Wiesbaden, containing Hildegard von Bingen's Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum. Hildegard wrote songs for the quiet devotions of nuns in her 12th century community.
December 2008 -January 2009
Le Marteau sans maître by Pierre Boulez
Based on three poems of 20th century poet, Rene Char, Le Marteau sans maître (the hammer without a master) is Pierre Boulez’s first completely serialized composition. The nine-part work in three cycles received its premiere in 1955, although like other compositions by Boulez, portions were reworked years later. The beautiful facsimile featured was produced by the Paul Sacher Foundation.
January-February 2009
Weigel’s Musicalisches Theatrum
Johann Christoph Weigel, an engraver from Nuremberg, first published the set of 36 engravings of musicians playing instruments between 1715 and 1725. This tremendous organological resource depicts performance of such instruments as the Waldhorn and two-keyed clarinet.
February-March 2009
ROCKRGRL Magazine
A small but important publication for and about female musicians published in Seattle, Washington from 1995-2005, Rockrgrl documents the work of women composers and performers of popular music primarily in the United States. The Friends of the Library generously funded the purchase of this periodical run.
March-April 2009
Folksong Index
Supervised by Kathy Abromeit, Public Services Librarian of the Oberlin Conservatory Library, this project combines data from Sing Out! together with additional data culled from over 1,000 volumes of folk songs. The result is a database of over 40,000 items! Search it at: http://www.oberlin.edu/library/cons/singout.html/
April-May 2009
Italian & French Violin Makers
This polyglot encyclopedia focuses on violin design and construction. Large format photographs, for example, depict carvings and varnish technique as well as the internal structure of prized violins from Italy and France throughout the ages. The Friends of the Library have generously provided funding for the three volumes of the series published to date.