Discover a rich musical heritage

The Lobkowicz Music Archive, comprised of approximately 5,000 items, was assembled over three centuries by principal members of the Lobkowicz family who were not only patrons, but also enthusiastic collectors, performers, and composers.

The family’s personal tastes and affinities are reflected in the music collection. The archive is particularly rich in music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, including works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Cartellieri and the Wranitzky brothers. The earliest section of the archive includes precious Baroque tablatures and French instrumental and vocal-instrumental pieces from the 17th century. A separate archive called The Loreto Music Archive belongs to the Lobkowicz Family Archive.

The Music Archive was established c. 1700 by Ferdinand August, 3rd Prince Lobkowicz (1655–1715) and contains a rare collection of late 17th and early 18th century tablatures for lutes, mandolins, and guitars, as well as collections of instrumental and vocal-instrumental music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, Jean-Louis Lully, and Pascal Collasse. This collection of music for plucked instruments, regarded to be the world’s largest private collection of French Baroque music, includes lute and guitar works by remarkable French composers, including E. and D. Gaultier, St. Luc, Ch. Mouton, J. de Gallot and others.

Philip Hyacinth, 4th Prince Lobkowicz (1680–1734) and his second wife, Princess Anna Maria Wilhelmina Lobkowicz, née Althann (1703–1754), were distinguished lutenists who also composed for their favorite instrument. The Princess, along with her husband, was taught by the finest contemporary lute players, including Sylvius Leopold Weiss or Andreas Bohr. Instruments of the princely pair reside in the collections. Ferdinand Philipp, 6th Prince Lobkowicz (1724–1784) played the violin and glass harmonica. He also kept in contact with many famous composers, including Christoph Willibald Gluck, who was the son of a Lobkowicz family estate forester.

The Prince who had the greatest impact on the history of Western music was undoubtedly Franz Joseph Maximilian, 7th Prince Lobkowicz (1772–1816). A talented singer, violinist and cellist, the 7th Prince was one of Beethoven’s foremost patrons. Beethoven dedicated his 3rd (Eroica), 5th, and 6th (Pastoral) Symphonies to the Prince, as well as other works. An annual stipend provided by three of his noble patrons—Prince Lobkowicz, Archduke Rudolf, and Prince Kinsky—allowed Beethoven the freedom to compose without financial constraint. The stipend was continued by Ferdinand Joseph, 8th Prince Lobkowicz (1797–1868) until the composer’s death. Like the Library, the music collection was confiscated by the Nazis in 1941 and separated from the rest of the Lobkowicz Collections. Between 1951–1998, it was held by the National Museum Music Department (later the Czech Museum of Music). In 1992, the collection was returned to the family, and later in 1998 joined the Lobkowicz Library housed at Nelahozeves Castle.