The Marriage of Figaro – Facsimile

The Seven Great Operas in Facsimile Editions of Mozart’s Autograph Scores “Idomeneo”, “Die Entführung aus dem Serail”, “Le nozze di Figaro”, “Don Giovanni”, “ Così fan tutte ”, “Die Zauberflöte ”, “La clemenza di Tito” – Mozart’s seven great operas, his brilliant contribution to music theatre and world culture, are unequalled in their depth of human characterisation and musical expression.

Through happy coincidence, all seven opera scores have survived almost complete in Mozart’s manuscript. The Packard Humanities Institute (PHI, Los Altos , California ) has now embarked on producing a facsimile edition of the seven autograph scores. Mozart scholars, libraries and of course all lovers of Mozart’s stage works now have the opportunity of acquiring these priceless manuscripts in flawless reproductions. At the same time, all risks about preserving Mozart’s legacy for the world of music are taken care of.

The Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) charitable foundation, known for its philanthropic programmes in the arts and sciences, has forged an ideal cooperation for the Mozart project. Under the scholarly direction of an editorial board (Ulrich Konrad , David Packard, Wolfgang Rehm , Christoph Wolff; General editor Dietrich Berke) the International Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg and the libraries where Mozart’s manuscripts are held are working together with the Packard Humanities Institute.

The production of the volumes is exquisite, for the digitalization of the manuscripts has been undertaken using the latest technology, which allows for an astounding level of authenticity and precision in detail. The printing follows the uncompromisingly high standards demanded by the edition. All seven volumes include essays on the history of literature and ideas by Hendrik Birus , Hans Joachim Kreutzer and Robert Miller as well as musicological introductions by leading Mozart scholars in German and English. The facsimile edition will be distributed by Bärenreiter- Verlag .