Symphonic music has been one of key trends in music composing since the classical era, that is, the second half of the 18th century. Today, it still forms the core of the repertoire of philharmonic institutions all over the world.

This year’s musical manuscripts exhibition at the Jagiellonian Library, accompanying the 26th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, has been entirely devoted to Ludwig van Beethoven as a key figure in the history of symphonic music. The work of this great composer set the trends for symphonic music development in the centuries to follow, and contributed to putting this genre in the centre of musical public life in Europe and the whole world.

The items displayed at this year’s exhibition comprise selected manuscripts of symphonic works of Viennese classics and a number of 19th and 20th century composers, including J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, F. Schubert, F. Mendelssohn, A. Bruckner, A. Panufnik, W. Lutosławski, and K. Penderecki.

The exhibited manuscripts come from Jagiellonian Library collection, the former Prussian State Library in Berlin collection kept in the Jagiellonian Library, as well as Elżbieta Penderecka’s private collection.

Opening hours:

• Monday - Friday 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.,
• Saturday 10.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m.,
• Friday, 15 April - 10.00 a.m. - 2.00. p.m.