Portrait in Music

The Lobkowicz Palace is bustling with new musical resonance. In the heart of its museum exhibition dwells a reimagined suite of two new music galleries, illuminating some of the greatest musical moments in history.

The new rooms showcase an unparalleled collection of musical instruments, reflected in a set of Baroque plucked string instruments and ceremonial trumpets. The most brilliant period of Lobkowicz musical activity is explored through the ardent devotion of Franz Joseph Maximilian, 7th Prince Lobkowicz (1772–1816), most notable for his life-long patronage of Ludwig van Beethoven. Highlights include Mozart’s autograph revisions of Handel’s Messiah, and period manuscript copies and first printed editions of Beethoven’s Symphonies nos. 3, 4, and 5. Archival and accounting records, family correspondences, and other never-before-seen musical treasures bring new musical life and context to the rooms.

The floor plan was redesigned into the shape of a Baroque guitar. Overhead, a copy of the ceiling painting of the Vienna Lobkowicz Palace concert hall recreates the atmospheric setting wherein the first rehearsals and private performances of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 3 (Eroica) took place in 1804.

Audio-visual technology brings an interactive element to the galleries. Visitors can browse through musical scores and manuscripts in more detail on touch screens, explore new archival material hidden in drawers like secret compartments, or get lost in the music of Beethoven streaming from one of the sound showers—surrounded by portraits of musical luminaries and Lobkowicz family members. Digital projections also illuminate the space with 17th-century operatic scenes and an animation of Mozart’s adaptation of Handel’s Messiah. This immersive musical experience is made complete with an audio guide narrated by William Lobkowicz and the rooms’ curators, Vassar College Associate Professor of Music Dr. Kathryn Libin, and Curator of the Lobkowicz Music Archive Dr. Petr Slouka.

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