Digitizing the Music Library of Emperor Charles VI

Thursday, September 10, 2026

The following text is based on Marc Strümper’s blog post “Digitalisierung der Musikbibliothek Kaiser Karls VI.” published on 13 November 2024 on the website of the Austrian National Library. The same collection was already mentioned by Christa Traunsteiner in a text published on the RISM website about two years ago: The Music Manuscripts of the Austrian National Library’s Music Collection in RISM.

In a project spanning six years, the Austrian National Library digitized several hundred volumes of music manuscripts from the “Hofmusikkapelle,” most of which were intended for the private library of Emperor Karl VI, who is remembered by posterity (among other things) as a music enthusiast. The repertoire consists largely of operas and oratorios modeled on Italian works, composed by musicians both at and outside of the imperial court, overall reflecting Karl VI’s predilection for lavish courtly Baroque opera. Notable composers include Johann Joseph Fux, Antonio Caldara, and Francesco Bartolomeo Conti. In addition to their exceptional musical quality, two aspects make the contents of these volumes particularly interesting: (1) the compositions are closely linked to the musical, political, and religious developments and themes of the time (such as coronation ceremonies, baptisms, secular and religious holidays), and (2) the names of performers are not limited to the in part famous and illustrious court staff, but also reveal the involvement of members of the high nobility.

Digitization proves useful in various ways: it helps preserve musical manuscripts and increases access to the sources which can be viewed and downloaded for free on the internet. This has been all the more desirable since many of the more than 750 works digitized – totaling approximately 180,000 pages – can be found exclusively in the Austrian National Library.

The digitized sources can be accessed through the Biblioteca Carolina portal, where rich metadata and a search function facilitate navigation and orientation. In the meantime the RISM database also includes descriptions of the sources from the Hofmusikkapelle (including those from Karl VI’s music library). You can simply enter both “A-Wn” and “Hofmusikkapelle” in the search box next to each other.

Image: Detail of: Martin van Meytens the Younger (workshop), Emperor Karl VI., around 1730, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, Inv.-Nr. IV.509; Credit: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie/Dietmar Gunne Public Domain Mark 1.0

Category: Library collections