UC Libraries Acquire Three-Millionth VolumeMelissa Cox Norris, Director of Library Communications, melissa.norris@uc.edu |
 This fall, the University of Cincinnati Libraries celebrated an important milestone with the acquisition of the three-millionth volume – Paoletta, an opera by Pietro Floridia, faculty member of UC’s College of Music from 1906-1908. The Paoletta volume includes the musical score for the opera, 124 original watercolor costume designs by Will R. Barnes, and a belt worn by one of the principal cast members.
“UC’s acquisition of Paoletta promises to enrich our knowledge of this slice of musical history,” said bruce mcclung, UC associate professor of musicology. Mcclung’s research indicates that Paoletta was commissioned by Cincinnati for the 1910 Ohio Valley Exposition, held in the city, and was reportedly the first opera commissioned by an American city. UC marked the acquisition of the three-millionth volume with a celebration November 16, 2004, at which keynote speaker Robert C. Vitz, professor of history at Northern Kentucky University and author of The Queen and the Arts: Cultural Life in Nineteenth-Century Cincinnati, spoke of the city’s rich history of appreciating and celebrating the arts. He said Paoletta, a story of love and sorcery set in 15th-century Spain, was rewarded with 48 curtain calls on opening night and sellout crowds for the subsequent 28 performances.
Paoletta was acquired by University Libraries, which includes Langsam Library and nine college and departmental libraries. “It’s not easy to choose a single volume when your group of libraries spans the full range of disciplines, “ said Victoria A. Montavon, dean and university librarian. “We really wanted the 3,000,000th volume to be something historic, we wanted it to be something rare, and we wanted it to reflect the University’s close ties to Cincinnati.” She noted further: “Acquiring three million volumes is a major effort and one that involved significant collaboration among all UC Libraries, as well as great support from the UC administration and faculty.” In addition to Paoletta, volumes 3,000,001 through 3,000,004 were also presented to celebrate the breadth of UC’s libraries:
Paoletta – the score, belt, and costume sketches – is housed in UC’s Archives and Rare Books Library where it is available for study and research. The other celebrated volumes are available in their respective libraries and are accessible via the online Library Catalog. The public will have an opportunity to learn more about Paoletta at library lecture scheduled for May 5 at 3pm in the Bauer Room at CCM. Bruce mcclung will present his research on the opera as well as a sampling of its music. The event is part of University Libraries’ “Off the Page” Lecture Series and is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail melissa.norris@uc.edu. |
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“It was never performed again. We welcome back to Cincinnati, after 94 years, the return of at least a part of the original Paoletta to the city that produced it,” said Vitz.