| Name | Image | Description | Video |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Horn |  | The natural horn is is a musical instrument that is the ancestor of the modern-day horn, and is differentiated by its lack of valves. It consists of a mouthpiece, some long coiled tubing, and a large flared bell. Pitch changes are made through a few different techniques. This instrument was used extensively until the emergence of the valved horn in the early 19th century. The image shows a natural horn in the V&A Museum, London. | |
| Oboe Da Caccia |  | The oboe da caccia (literally "hunting oboe" in Italian) is a double reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family, pitched a fifth below the oboe. Its tube is curved. The oboe da caccia was used only in the late Baroque period, after which it fell out of use until interest in authentic performance in the 20th century caused it to be revived. The oboe da caccia has a leather-covered wooden body terminating in a brass bell similar to a horn bell. There are typically two brass keys, E-flat and C. The E-flat key is typically repeated for the left hand. There are usually two "doubled" fingerholes (G/A=flat and F/F#) similar to the soprano baroque oboe. The construction differs from that of all other woodwinds. | |
| Oboe D'amore |  | The oboe d'amore (oboe of love in Italian), less commonly oboe d'amour, is a woodwind instrument. It is a member of the double reed family, very similar to the oboe. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the mezzo-soprano or alto of the oboe family. It is a transposing instrument, sounding a minor third lower than it is notated, i.e. in A. The bell is pear-shaped and the instrument uses a bocal, similar to the larger English Horn, whose bocal is larger. The oboe d'amore was invented in the 18th century and was first used by Christoph Graupner in Wie wunderbar ist Gottes Güt. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote many pieces - a concerto, many of his cantatas, and the "In Spiritum Sanctum" movement of his Mass in B minor - for the instrument. | |
| Recorder |  | The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes — whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple. It is distinguished from other members of the family by having holes for seven fingers and one for the thumb of the uppermost hand. Purcell, Bach, Telemann and Vivaldi used the recorder to suggest shepherds and birds, and the pattern continued into the 20th century. The sound of the recorder is remarkably clear and sweet, partly because of the lack of upper harmonics and predominance of odd harmonics in the sound. There are recorder orchestras in Germany, Holland, Japan, the United States, Canada, the UK and several other countries. | |
| Schrammel Accordion |  | A Schrammel accordion (German: Schrammelharmonika) is an accordion with a melody (right hand) keyboard in the chromatic B-Griff system and a twelve-button diatonic bass keyboard. It is named for a traditional combination of two Violins, Accordion and Contrabass known as Schrammelquartett, the music being performed was called Schrammel music, in the Vienna chamber music tradition. In most cases, it has two or three sets of reeds tuned in unison configuration. The sound is quite different or special, when compared to modern chromatic button accordions. This is because it is much smaller and lighter than modern CBAs. The handmade reeds used may also contribute to its sound. | |
| Sopranino Saxophone |  | The sopranino saxophone is one of the smallest members of the saxophone family. A sopranino saxophone is tuned in the key of E-flat, and sounds an octave above the alto saxophone. This saxophone has a sweet sound and although the sopranino is one of the least common of the saxophones in regular use today it is still being produced by several of the major musical manufacturing companies. Due to their small size, sopraninos are not usually curved like other saxophones. Orsi, however, does make curved sopranino saxophones. Shown in the image (left to right): a curved E-flat sopranino saxophone, a straight E-flat sopranino saxophone, a C soprano saxophone, and a B-flat soprano saxophone. | |
| Soprillo |  | Soprillo is the brand name of a piccolo or sopranissimo saxophone, the smallest saxophone in the family. It is pitched in B♭, one octave above the soprano saxophone, although the keywork only extends to a written high E♭ rather than F. Due to its small size, the upper octave key has to be placed in the mouthpiece. It is difficult to build an instrument so small, and only recently has a true sopranissimo saxophone been produced. The Soprillo is 12 inches in length (13 inches with the mouthpiece). Because it is so small and requires such a small and focused embouchure, the Soprillo is difficult to play, particularly in its upper register. | |
| Street Organ |  | A Street organ is a mechanical organ designed to play in the street. The operator of a street organ is called an organ grinder. The two main types are the smaller German style and the larger Dutch street organ. The image shows a street organ in Rüdesheim am Rhein, Germany. | |
| Theorbo |  | A theorbo (from Italian tiorba, also tuorbe in French, Theorbe in German) is a plucked string instrument. As a name, theorbo signifies a number of long-necked lutes with second peg-boxes, such as the liuto attiorbato, the French théorbe des pieces, the English theorbo, the archlute, the German baroque lute, the angelique or angelica. The instrument was called both chitarrone and tiorba. It is important to note that, although theorbo and chitarrone are virtually identical, they have different etymological origins, chitarrone being a descendant of chitarra italiana. | |
| Timpani |  | Timpani (also known colloquially as kettle drums) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl commonly made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet. Unlike most drums, they produce a definite pitch when struck. | |
| Trautonium |  | The trautonium, a predecessor to the synthesizer, is a monophonic electronic musical instrument invented ca. 1929 by Friedrich Trautwein in Berlin. Soon Oskar Sala joined him, continuing development until Sala's death in 2002. Instead of a keyboard, its manual is made of a resistor wire over a metal plate which is pressed to create a sound. Expressive playing was possible with this wire by gliding on it or create vibrato with small movements. The image shows a Mixtur Trautonium, one of two instruments worldwide. | |
| Trombone |  | The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, it is a lip-reed aerophone; sound is produced when the player’s buzzing lips (embouchure) cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate. The trombone is usually characterized by a telescopic slide with which the player varies the length of the tube to change pitches, although the less common valve trombone uses three valves similar to those on a trumpet. Today, the trombone can usually be found in wind ensembles/concert bands, symphony orchestras, marching bands, military bands, brass bands, brass choirs, etc. | |
| Violotta |  | A violotta is a tenor viola (or tenor violin) invented by the German luthier Alfred Stelzner and patented in 1891. It is tuned in G D A E, an octave below the violin. Other instruments called "tenor violin" were tuned a step lower: F C G D (a fifth below the viola). It is rarely used by composers. One of the few works where it is used is the String Quintet in A by Felix Draeseke. | |
| Wagner Tuba |  | The Wagner tuba is a comparatively rare brass instrument that combines elements of both the horn and the tuba. It was originally created for Richard Wagner's operatic cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. Since then, other composers have written for it. Wagner wanted an instrument that could intone the Valhalla motif somberly like a trombone but with a less incisive tone like that of a horn. That effect was obtained by a conical bore (like a horn) and the use of the horn mouthpiece (tapered as opposed to a cup mouthpiece such as on a trombone). The instrument is built with rotary valves which, like those on the horn, are played with the left hand. | |
| Zimbelstern |  | The Zimbelstern (Meaning "Cymbal Star" in German, also spelled Cymbelstern or Zymbelstern) is a "toy" organ stop consisting of a metal or wooden star or wheel on which several small bells are mounted. When engaged, the star rotates, producing a continuous tinkling sound. It was common in northern Europe, Germany in particular, throughout the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. After about 1700, the bells were tuned to particular notes. |
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