MIM inside - Special Guided Tour
Event date: 02/02/2025
Location: Musikinstrumenten-Museum, 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.
Employees of the Musikinstrumenten-Museum will guide you through the collection.
with Thomas MacMillan, Research assistant (in English)
On this English-language tour, visitors will get a comprehensive overview of the museum’s collection, spanning from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. The journey begins with Renaissance instruments, including virginals, early harpsichords, pommers, clavichords, and dulcimers, highlighting the foundational instruments of Western music. The tour then explores early string instruments like the Chitarrone and Viola da Gamba, and features rare pieces such as a Stradivari violin and Ruckers harpsichords.
As the tour progresses, it delves into key innovations in keyboard instruments, such as the Stehlin Harpsichord, the Kiel-Hammerflügel, and the Gray organ, which exemplify advancements in design and functionality. Visitors will also discover unique instruments like the Arpeggione, Bassetthorn, and Trumscheit, which represent experimental approaches to sound.
Visitors will also see 19th and early 20th-century instruments, such as the Giraffenflügel (Giraffe piano), Mighty Wurlitzer organ, and the Pianino with the innovative Jankó keyboard. The evolution of jazz is showcased with the 1948 Gibson electric guitar and the 1960s Plastic Jazz Guitar. The Blüthner piano, a favourite of composers like Debussy, highlights the progression of piano craftsmanship during the early 20th century.
The tour concludes with electronic instruments, where visitors can interact with a theremin and mellotron at hands-on stations. Highlights include the LinnDrum, Mixturtrautonium, EWI-USB, Prophet-10 Synthesizer, Ondes Martenot, and Vermona ET 6, as well as the Otwin Tenor Banjo and Höfner electric guitar, which reflect the GDR's contributions and global influence.
11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.
Meeting point at the barrel organ
Museum entrance (10/5€) + guided fee (3€)