Acquisition and provenance

During fall 2004, the academic year in which Susanna Mildonian retired, she gave her collection of harp music to the Brussels Conservatory. She wanted to see her music made accessible to the students. She also knew that her collection contained many pieces that were not yet in the conservatory library. As a result of her international career, her library was very internationally oriented, particularly in the field of the repertoire for harp solo. The Mildonian collection has thus filled a gap in the general collection of the library.

As a ownership mark, Susanna Mildonian often noted her name on the cover of the score. In some cases she used a stamp, but most pieces do not have a direct reference to their provenance. 

Example of a handwritten mark on the cover of a score. BV-09-0004.

Example of Mildonian’s stamp on a cover of a score. E03123.

 

More recent editions were undoubtedly purchased by Susanna Mildonian herself, but some older works come from other collections, such as the work dedicated to Margherita Cicognari, her first harp teacher, and the pieces from Van de Moortel from the 1950s.

 

Minuetto for harp by Lino Liviabella, with autograph dedication to Cicognari, 1940. E03089.

Waltzes by Brahms, transcribed for harp by Lautemann, from the collection Van de Moortel. E03151.

Sonata for harp by Hindemith. Manuscript copy from the collection Van de Moortel. BV-09-0029.

 

In addition to scores, four specialized harp journals have been given to the library.

The works from the Mildonian collection are included in the library database of the Royal Conservatory Brussels. Recent editions can be borrowed, but the personalized pieces can only be consulted on-site.