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Over the holidays relatives descended in droves upon my homestead, and so to get out of the house we decided to go to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in north Phoenix for a day-trip.
This was my first visit to this museum. I was particularly eager to see if the over-the-shoulder horns and other rarities from the Fiske collection had been added to the public displays.
Brass instruments represent the most comprehensive element of the Fiske Collection and the centerpiece is a set of seven over-the-shoulder brasses by Hall & Quinby of Boston (1872), the only known complete set of these types of Civil War-period instruments. The collection also features examples of most valve types invented during the 19th century and several outstanding examples by European and American makers are represented.
Other highlights include 19th-century clock-spring slide trumpets by Ulyate, London (c. 1830); a slide trumpet made for the famous English player John Distin (c. 1833); a keyed trumpet by Antonio Apparuti, Modena (c. 1835), a rarity as the only example in the United States; an expertly designed disc valve cornet by J. A. Kohler, London (c. 1853); and two double-piston valve B-flat trumpets by Graves & Co., Worcester, Massachusetts (c. 1845).
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Snapshots from an iPhone
The MIM has two floors: the top floor is organized by region, and the bottom floor by special category. The majority of the brass instruments were in the European galleries upstairs.
With my handy iPhone camera I took a few photos of some brass-related instruments that piqued my interest and that I thought might be of interest to Horn Matters readers.
Be sure to click on any picture to get a larger view.
The first snapshot is of an oliphant – an elaborately carved ivory horn. It was displayed in a case with a number of horns from the same region.
Most of the instruments are displayed without glass, so visitors are able to get a really close look at each instrument.
One of the more interesting brass instruments was this tenor horn – made between 1850-1862 by Augustin Heinrich Rott. It was on display in the Czech region of the European gallery. I would have loved to try a few notes out on this one.
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In the main floor gallery titled “Mechanical,” this paper roll trumpet caught my attention. No air or buzzing is required.
The gallery also has a few paper roll player pianos – which I have seen before – but this was this first time that I had seen the same technology applied to a brass instrument.
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This reed horn requires the user to blow air into the mouthpiece. Each key has a reed that is tuned to different notes. The manufacturer is Couesnon – which happens to be the maker of my hunting horn.
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In the Latin and South American gallery these lightweight, bamboo and leaf-wrapped horns from Bolivia illustrate an interesting example of how indigenous traditions get mixed and morphed into the traditional Catholic liturgy.
In the accompanying audio-visual display two sets of these horns are being performed in a Catholic liturgical setting, assigned to playing the long notes of the cantus firmus.
With a choir, organ and other instruments they added a very unique flavor to the mix. I love how they look like gigantic pan flutes.
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The final picture is from the North American gallery.
This area of the MIM is the least complete at the moment; about one half of the space in this gallery is littered with empty displays under construction.
Fortunately, I was able to take a peek at the complete set of over-the-shoulder horns – soprano, alto, tenor and bass. As mentioned previously, this Hall & Quinby of Boston (1872) collection is the only known complete set of these types of American Civil War-period instruments.
Some of the rarer over-the-shoulder horns can be fairly valuable. In the popular television program Antiques Roadshow a similar soprano saxhorn was appraised at $4,000 – $5,000 USD. One can only imagine what the appraised value might be for a complete set.
The two alto horns in the Hall & Quinby set are pitched in G and E-flat.
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A great side trip from the SW Conference
Overall I was very impressed with the MIM and would highly recommend it to anyone.
For anyone who might be attending the Southwest Horn Conference next week, the MIM is literally around the block from the conference and would make for a nice side trip.
Plan to be there for at least two hours.
