Giorgia Scartezzini

Ildebrando Pizzetti’s Memories in Firenze. Pizzetti’s Papers at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Florence.

Abstract

This essay discusses in depth the Pizzetti Collection at the BNCF, hosting papers related to Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880–1968), such as autographed music manuscripts, manuscript and printed librettos, fiction books, press reviews, and more. Pizzetti had lived in Florence from 1908 to 1924, and some aspects of his biography and ties to Florence are dealt with. Also, the layered genesis and archival history of the collection are discussed, with special reference to the problem of defining “collection” when no archival restriction exists. The Pizzetti Collection does not host all of his holdings; hence, a survey of his material held elsewhere is offered for completeness, also signaling the main ways to access it. The Pizzetti Collection analytical inventory is the core of this work, which aims to be an essential resource to study the collection and, more generally, the state of Pizzetti’s autograph papers in Italy, while helping access sources and laying the foundation for a forthcoming thematic catalogue that should promote the composer's musical legacy.