The collection of books, magazines, sketches and theatre programmes on the history of dance in the last century was bequeathed to the Giorgio Cini Foundation by Aurel Milloss, who, alongside Diaghilev, was one of the great dance masters of the 20th century. It contains around 3,000 publications, all of which have been digitally catalogued, and is now the most important reference of its kind in Europe.
The library and the choreographer’s correspondence and papers have been completely catalogued; work has also begun on the remaining material in the archives. The music section of the Milloss Collection, which has been entrusted to the Institute of Music, includes the music library of the great expressionist choreographer and all the works he created or planned for dance-dramatization. All the scores were transformed into director’s books, the printed pages and music manuscripts of which are accurately notated with visual schemes and movement instructions. These documents are particularly significant in that little of the dance notation by the major creators of modern dance has survived. Aurel Milloss made full use of his musical background to meet the need to notate every choreutic figure in perfect synchronisation with the score.
Milloss’ music archives also provides useful information for creating works that combine several pieces of music by various composers, for making poetic syntheses and suites derived from musical works of different lengths, and for arrangements aimed at creating dance with music conceived with a different purpose, by making cuts and shifts that revitalize the original musical text for the stage. The archives thus conserves the basic material required for future reconstructions of the great Hungarian dancer’s historic choreographies. On the grounds of the wealth of notation and detail of the choreographic programme, specific mention should be made of: Déserts by Varèse, Paganiniana by Casella (transformed into the charmingly titled La rosa del sogno), Visage by Luciano Berio, Fantasia indiana by Busoni, Estri and La follia di Orlando by Goffredo Petrassi, Deliciae populi ossia Scarlattiana by Casella, The Miraculous Mandarin by Béla Bartók in which Milloss was the first legendary performer, and Aventures and Nouvelles aventures by György Ligeti (an unfinished project). The Institute has begun to systematically catalogue all of the invaluable material in this collection.
Information

For Aurel Milloss’ library, photographic collection and dance reviews:

Institute of Literature, Theatre and Opera
Island of San Giorgio Maggiore – 30124 Venice
tel. +39 041 2710236 – fax +39 041 2710215
e-mail: [email protected]

For Aurel Milloss’ scores and correspondence:

Institute of Music
Island of San Giorgio Maggiore – 30124 Venice
tel. +39 041 2710220 (8.30 – 12.30) – fax +39 041 2710215
e-mail: [email protected]

The Milloss Collection may be consulted by appointment only; appointments may be made by contacting the secretary’s office at the respective Institutes.