Vilena Vrbanić (University of Zagreb)
This STSM (Short-Term Scientific Mission) was undertaken in July 2023 at the Spanish National Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC),Institución Milá y Fontanals de Investigación en Humanidades (IMF) in Barcelona. I worked with Dr Andrea Puentes Blanco, leader of the EarlyMuse Working Group 3 (Publications), which I joined.
The goal of this STSM was to collect data about Early Music editions and publications in Europe. The focus was on systematically gathering information about collections and series of early music editions published in Europe. My knowledge of early music in Europe (as a recent PhD graduate in musicology), combined with my skills as a professional librarian (MA in Library and Information Science), helped me to successfully complete his mission. Ultimately, this mission contributed to the objectives of the COST Action EarlyMuse – strengthening our network and fostering collaboration.
Following the tasks and activities of WG3, i.e. the exploration of what needs to change in order to facilitate the communication of cutting-edge (artistic) research, the following activities were undertaken: compiling a list of the collections and series of early music that are currently active in Europe; compiling a list of the collections and series of early music that are no longer active in Europe; identifying good practices for early music editions in various European countries, both in print and digital format; drawing conclusions about the current situation of early music editions and publications in Europe. These activities were elaborated using various bibliographic resources. Furthermore, I participated in the seminar entitled “Early Music editions in Europe: Broadening scientific experience within the COST Action EarlyMuse” held at the Institución Milá y Fontanals CSIC on 25 July 2023. A further seminar
could also follow online.
Even though a significant amount of data was compiled during the STSM, this work should be continued. Ideally, EarlyMuse members from every single country would provide further information because they know better their local situation regarding editions and series of Early Music. Therefore, we plan to share the data with other members of the Action in order to encourage collaboration between the countries. The activities carried out during this STSM
will also be useful for the upcoming WG3 meeting in Barcelona in September 2023, since it is dedicated to the same topic – Monumenta editions in Europe.
Following the collection of the data, it is possible to better understand the current situation of Early Music editions and publications in the European context. The activities undertaken during the STSM have laid the groundwork for a future study on standards for music research and music editions, which is one of the expected deliverables of WG3 for the COST Action EarlyMuse. This STSM can be considered as a contribution to the goal of preserving musical heritage and to increasing the accessibility of scholarly resources. In other words, it represents a broadening scientific experience at its best.
Finally, it is my great pleasure to thank the organizers at Institución Milá y Fontanals, my supervisor Dr Andrea Puentes-Blanco and EarlyMuse for permitting me to join this STSM.
