Issue link: http://saihq.uberflip.com/i/1498727
sai-national.org • Spring 2023 21 To learn more about the facility, see and read about specific collection examples, listen to seasonal podcasts from local artists, take an excellent Virtual Tour of the each floor, and watch videos detailing traditional Belgian music, visit the MIM online at: www.mim.be wanted to listen to in full at a later date. e First Floor gallery featured displays on the "History of Musical Instruments in Europe." e very first item through the entryway was a display of phalangeal whistles from 18000-12000 BCE found in France - yes, bone whistles. is section then included a progression of instrument making through the ages, from early flutes and stringed instruments to more modern examples of brass and keyboards. Information was shared about the transition of stringed instruments from monoxyl forms (those made from hollowed out wood) to individually glued pieces of wood, like the early 15th- century lutes from Middle Eastern countries. ere were physical and video displays that explained how violins and pianos have been and are now craed, complete with interior cutaways and step by step construction models. roughout the space there were details about important European instrument makers and trends. e Ruckers of Antwerp, a prominent family of harpsichord makers from 1580-1680, created highly prized, ornate instruments that were coveted by many of the wealthiest families. e Denner family of Nuremberg was pivotal in the making of wind instruments from 1680-1764, starting with animal horns and then moving to recorders, flutes, double reeds, and ultimately clarinets. e importance of the birth of opera in Italy, which now had composers specifying which instruments should be used to convey situations or emotions in the theatrical performance, is touched upon, with a nod to Claudio Monteverdi's 1607 L'Orfeo as the innovative leader of the time. Continued on page 22 A Wld of Music Above, A display on violin making. At right, an 1870s brass instrument Above, A display on violin making. At right, an 1870s brass instrument with six valves and seven bells invented by Adolphe Sax. with six valves and seven bells invented by Adolphe Sax.