Some weird and wonderful stuff in many parts of the world- 'cordophones, aérophones, and idiophones' in Angouleme, to cite one example.
The discussion might be:
Are you much interested in the provenance of your own instrument/s- (communing with the spirits of former players, that kind of thing ) or is this something folk musicians are in general less bothered about?
When I visited the collection of instruments in Brussels, where there are several floors of instruments of all shapes and sizes, the thing I realised is that what we see as our "standard" orchestral instruments are just the tip of an iceberg, and that instruments have evolved to suit their environment - a bit like natural selection, I suppose.
So yes - for me I think it's fascinating and I therefore see the instrument I play (the harp) as part of a development (both from the past and into the future). Not so sure about the "spirits of former players", but when you see a big collection you get a sense of the spirit of music, I think.
I'm on a bit of a Strad kick at the moment, having read Toby Faber's book on the man- and get this sense of classical musicians being very personally involved with their instrument's past
e.g Menuhin quoted as saying of his violin - 'Its wood stores the history, or the soul, of its successive owners. I never play without feeling I have released or, alas, violated spirits'.
Now, I know we're a much more down to earth lot, but, personally, I still like thinking about who made, 'owned' and played my humble fiddle before I began violating its spirits.
Here in London, Ontario, Canada, Dr. Henry Meredith, from University of Western Ontario, has a private collection of 3300+musical instruments. He supplied Walt Disney studios with a bunch of them for their production of "The Music Man" . Here is a small sample of what he has.
I had a lovely afternoon in the Museum of Folk Instruments in Almaty, Kazakhstan, complete with guided tour and private performance by renowned troubadour and dombra player Abylai, who even gave me a shot on some of the instruments.
It was a bit dusty and neglected at the time, which was great for me as no one else was there.
I always look, given a chance.
Spent many happy hours in the Victoria and Albert Museum in my youth, gazing at citterns and guiterras and stuff - is that why I play a 'zouk and I'm making a mandola now ?
And was SO pleased and proud, in the Welsh Folklife Museum, when my 3-year old daughter pointed out an Aeolian Harp, many years ago.
That Dr Meredith must have a private income, to keep acquiring his private collection......and no wife, I suggest.......
Bren's experience of actually getting to play the instruments in a museum must be exceptional- can't see that happening in many places. Even getting to hear them played must be rare.
Yes, it was an unusual place. I don't even know if the old bloke is still on the go. He just appeared, strumming a dombra, as I walked around, switching on and off the dim lights as I went from room to room. It was a two-course dombra, tuned in fifths, fretted in major scale intervals like a mountain dulcimer.
We talked in pidgin-Russian while he showed me the instruments - he only touched a couple of them, not all.
Then he ushered me into a little auditorium, switched on the lights, got on stage and proceeded to run through a repertoire of songs from Italian to Uighur and all points between, including Kazakh of course.
Kazakh folk music is interesting and not too obscure to the Western ear - music of the open plains
He was quite a showman. The only pay-off for him was selling me a little cassette for $5 at the end.
The Brussels museum has these amazing infra-red headpones so you can listen to the instruments in whatever case is in front of you. Great fun, but admittedly not as fun as having someone play them "live" for you.
The Collection of historical instruments in Basel (Basle, english spelling) is very good and very well set up also with sound examples etc. it is situated in an medieval castle which used to be used as a jail up to about 10 jears ago . intersting atmosphere
Basel is on the northernmost border of Switzerland, easily accessible from germany, france.
Musical Instrument Collections
Musical Instrument Collections
For museum lovers, this one:-
the CIMCIM/AMIS International Directory of Musical Instrument Collections.
http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/cimcim/id/index.html#menu
Some weird and wonderful stuff in many parts of the world- 'cordophones, aérophones, and idiophones' in Angouleme, to cite one example.
The discussion might be:
Are you much interested in the provenance of your own instrument/s- (communing with the spirits of former players, that kind of thing
) or is this something folk musicians are in general less bothered about?
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by P-K
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
When I visited the collection of instruments in Brussels, where there are several floors of instruments of all shapes and sizes, the thing I realised is that what we see as our "standard" orchestral instruments are just the tip of an iceberg, and that instruments have evolved to suit their environment - a bit like natural selection, I suppose.
So yes - for me I think it's fascinating and I therefore see the instrument I play (the harp) as part of a development (both from the past and into the future). Not so sure about the "spirits of former players", but when you see a big collection you get a sense of the spirit of music, I think.
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by Mark Harmer
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
Every opportunity I get, to visit such places...
~ Makers of musical instruments too...and not just the usual suspects...
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
I'm on a bit of a Strad kick at the moment, having read Toby Faber's book on the man- and get this sense of classical musicians being very personally involved with their instrument's past
e.g Menuhin quoted as saying of his violin - 'Its wood stores the history, or the soul, of its successive owners. I never play without feeling I have released or, alas, violated spirits'.
Now, I know we're a much more down to earth lot, but, personally, I still like thinking about who made, 'owned' and played my humble fiddle before I began violating its spirits.
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by P-K
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
Here in London, Ontario, Canada, Dr. Henry Meredith, from University of Western Ontario, has a private collection of 3300+musical instruments. He supplied Walt Disney studios with a bunch of them for their production of "The Music Man" . Here is a small sample of what he has.
http://www.trumpetguild.org/conferences/conference99/wednesday/hank_gallery/index.htm
If he played 9 instruments a day, it would take him a year to play them all once. I wonder who gets to clean them.
Rob
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by mellow_bellows
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
I had a lovely afternoon in the Museum of Folk Instruments in Almaty, Kazakhstan, complete with guided tour and private performance by renowned troubadour and dombra player Abylai, who even gave me a shot on some of the instruments.
It was a bit dusty and neglected at the time, which was great for me as no one else was there.
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by Bren
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
I always look, given a chance.
Spent many happy hours in the Victoria and Albert Museum in my youth, gazing at citterns and guiterras and stuff - is that why I play a 'zouk and I'm making a mandola now ?
And was SO pleased and proud, in the Welsh Folklife Museum, when my 3-year old daughter pointed out an Aeolian Harp, many years ago.
That Dr Meredith must have a private income, to keep acquiring his private collection......and no wife, I suggest.......
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
A wife is an excellent safety precaution in these situations- she'll always blow a fuse just as you are planning your next purchase!
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by P-K
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
Bren's experience of actually getting to play the instruments in a museum must be exceptional- can't see that happening in many places. Even getting to hear them played must be rare.
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by P-K
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
Yes, it was an unusual place. I don't even know if the old bloke is still on the go. He just appeared, strumming a dombra, as I walked around, switching on and off the dim lights as I went from room to room. It was a two-course dombra, tuned in fifths, fretted in major scale intervals like a mountain dulcimer.
We talked in pidgin-Russian while he showed me the instruments - he only touched a couple of them, not all.
Then he ushered me into a little auditorium, switched on the lights, got on stage and proceeded to run through a repertoire of songs from Italian to Uighur and all points between, including Kazakh of course.
Kazakh folk music is interesting and not too obscure to the Western ear - music of the open plains
He was quite a showman. The only pay-off for him was selling me a little cassette for $5 at the end.
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by Bren
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
The Brussels museum has these amazing infra-red headpones so you can listen to the instruments in whatever case is in front of you. Great fun, but admittedly not as fun as having someone play them "live" for you.
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by Mark Harmer
Re: Musical Instrument Collections
The Collection of historical instruments in Basel (Basle, english spelling) is very good and very well set up also with sound examples etc. it is situated in an medieval castle which used to be used as a jail up to about 10 jears ago
. intersting atmosphere
Basel is on the northernmost border of Switzerland, easily accessible from germany, france.
# Posted on May 13th 2008 by Mina the Fiddler