This tumble, some of the rarest devices of their sort have joined the Musical Instrument Museum’s (MIM) distinctive exhibition “Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments” — like historical flutes to priceless instruments owned and performed by musical icons like Prince and Eric Clapton.
Considering that it first opened in November 2021, additional than 51,500 company have explored the exhibition, which celebrates the power of music across 6,000 yrs of history. The original exhibit shut in October, but the MIM has reopened the show as “Rediscover Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments.” It now features 28 new acquisitions and loans of historic importance for attendees to take a look at along with exhibition favorites like the Erard grand piano, Amati violin and viola, historic Mesopotamian lyre fragments and Jimi Hendrix’s Black Widow electrical guitar.
Showcased historic devices in Rediscover Treasures incorporate:
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Hochbrucker pedal harp, Germany, c. 1720. Jacob Hochbrucker’s ingenious pedal harp structure signifies a revolutionary stage in harp history. One-motion pedal harps would turn out to be just one of the most popular devices in the mid-eighteenth century, primarily amid the French aristocracy, including Marie Antoinette. Today, only four regarded unique Hochbrucker pedal harps continue being.
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Emperor Go-Daigo’s hitoyogiri, Japan, early 14th century. This extraordinary Japanese instrument is one particular of two acknowledged hitoyogiri flutes in existence owned and treasured by Japanese emperor Go-Daigo (1288–1339). The human body is profusely embellished with a number of layers of lacquer and gold powder and attributes elaborate dragon and cloud motifs. This loan is courtesy of the Takao Oikawa Household.
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Crystal flute by Claude Laurent, France, 1809. A watchmaker and mechanic by trade, Laurent was a musician at coronary heart, which led him to acquire progressive glass flutes in 1806. Unaffected by temperature and humidity, these groundbreaking “crystal flutes” ended up steady, even-toned and perfectly-tuned instruments.
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“The Very first Ukulele,” Hawaii, c. 1879. Possible crafted by Portuguese immigrant Jose do Espirito Santo, this instrument is assumed to be the initial Hawaiian-built ukulele. In spite of its delicate building and little sizing, this ukulele stays in playable problem and makes amazing volume. This bank loan is courtesy of Shawn Yacavone at Ukulele Pal.
Personal loan courtesy of The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson and Paisley Park.
Rediscover Treasures will also element legendary, celeb-owned devices together with:
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Prince’s Purple Yamaha Grand Piano. This purple Yamaha grand piano that includes the word “beautiful” composed in metallic gold was applied throughout Prince’s Jam of the 12 months tour from 1997 to 1998 following the launch of his triple album Emancipation. The artist danced atop the piano in the course of dwell performances, as viewed in the “Somebody’s Somebody” tunes video. Also on screen is Prince’s environmentally friendly stage wardrobe featured in the same songs video clip, as very well as a tailor made “Black Power” Lākland bass. Bassist Rhonda Smith commissioned this instrument and gifted it to Prince in the late ‘90s. Loans are courtesy of The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson and Paisley Park.
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“Brownie,” Eric Clapton’s 1956 Fender Stratocaster. This two-color sunburst electric guitar was Clapton’s initially Stratocaster, and it grew to become a essential section of the guitarist’s signature tone. Acquired by Clapton in a London tunes shop in 1967, the guitar can be read on Clapton’s early solo classics, these kinds of as “Layla” and “Bell Bottom Blues.” This loan is courtesy of the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.
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1958 Gibson Traveling V electric guitar. Produced to contend with well-known guitars like the Fender Stratocaster, the modernistic Flying V was in the beginning so controversial that only 81 examples were delivered in 1958, creating originals incredibly exceptional. This unique Flying V has been performed by many globe-course guitarists, together with Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, and Jack Pearson. An nameless personal loan.
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Lionel Hampton’s Deagan vibraphone, c. 1935. This 1-of-a-sort gold “King George” model vibraphone was custom-produced for Lionel Hampton, and stays the only instance crafted to the Deagan company’s most deluxe trim amount. Acknowledged as the “King of the Vibes,” Hampton performed on recordings by Louis Armstrong and other folks, and he efficiently introduced the vibraphone to jazz music.
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Dizzy Gillespie’s Martin Committee trumpet. Regarded as a single of the most iconic trumpeters of all time, Gillespie played an similarly iconic trumpet with a unique angled bell. The trumpet on screen is a single of Gillespie’s personalized devices developed in 1962, it characteristics gold plating, customized engraving and his signature upturned bell in sterling silver. This loan is courtesy of Joey DeFrancesco.
In the course of the exhibition, initial video clip information uncovers these instruments’ tales and the traditions they stand for with performances and interviews by museum curators and noteworthy musicians.
For details about MIM’s recent unique exhibition, take a look at MIM.org.
This exhibition is manufactured feasible by presenting sponsor U.S. Bank as very well as the Arizona Workplace of Tourism John & Joan D’Addario Foundation John and Mary Ann Mangels Christine Lindley Carolyn and John Friedman Babette and Richard Burns Jane and John Guild Marcia and Jim Lowman and Ann Phillips.
The MIM enriches the entire world by collecting, preserving and earning available an astonishing variety of musical instruments and efficiency video clips from just about every nation in the planet. MIM presents company a welcoming and enjoyable experience, incomparable interactive engineering, dynamic programming and fantastic musical performances. MIM fosters appreciation of the world’s diverse cultures by displaying how humans innovate, adapt and study from each other to develop music — the language of the soul.
The Musical Instrument Museum is situated at 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard in Phoenix. For typical museum information and a whole program of occasions, pay a visit to MIM.org or phone 480-478-6000.