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An angle ornament in the hall of the Ministry of State in Paris.

Angle Ornament

An angle ornament in the hall of the Ministry of State in Paris.

An angle ornament in the Louvre, Paris.

Angle Ornament

An angle ornament in the Louvre, Paris.

Ascaron

Ascaron

Ascaron

The bagpipe is a wind instrument used among the ancient Greeks but is known as a Scottish and Irish instrument.

Bagpipe

The bagpipe is a wind instrument used among the ancient Greeks but is known as a Scottish and Irish…

Often present a gamut which appears to us grotesque, without subdominate, or incomplete, manfestly vestige of ancient tonalities now abandoned, and in this aspect they are historixally of intrest

Highland Bagpipe

Often present a gamut which appears to us grotesque, without subdominate, or incomplete, manfestly vestige…

"Bagpipe, a musical wind-instrument of very great antiquity, having been used among the ancient Greeks, and being a favorite instrument over Europe generally in the fifteenth century." -Vaughan, 1906

Highland Bagpipe

"Bagpipe, a musical wind-instrument of very great antiquity, having been used among the ancient Greeks,…

A Russian musical instrument with a triangular body and three strings that produces sounds similar to those of a mandolin.

Balalaika

A Russian musical instrument with a triangular body and three strings that produces sounds similar to…

A hollow metal musical instrument, usually cup-shaped with a flared opening, that emits a metallic tone when struck.

Bell

A hollow metal musical instrument, usually cup-shaped with a flared opening, that emits a metallic tone…

The crotal is an ancient bell, a percussion instrument that is tuned and made of a bronze or brass sphere.

Ancient Crotal Bell

The crotal is an ancient bell, a percussion instrument that is tuned and made of a bronze or brass sphere.

Ancient chime of bells

Bells

Ancient chime of bells

The Miller from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Illustrated by Agnus MacDonall.

The Miller

The Miller from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Illustrated by Agnus MacDonall.

A series of small bars of steel or bronze, so placed that they can be struck by a small hammer, and tuned wither diatonically or chromatically, makes an elementary carillon

Carillon without Clavier

A series of small bars of steel or bronze, so placed that they can be struck by a small hammer, and…

Castanets

Castanets

Castanets

Castanets held in a hand.

Castanets

Castanets held in a hand.

An instrument composed of two concave shells of ivory or hardwood, shaped like spoons placed together, fastened to the thumb, and beat with the middle fingers.

Castanetes

An instrument composed of two concave shells of ivory or hardwood, shaped like spoons placed together,…

A musical instrument with a keyboard and metal plates struck by hammers that produce bell-like tones.

Celesta

A musical instrument with a keyboard and metal plates struck by hammers that produce bell-like tones.

Or the Zimbalon, whose strings vibrates under the percussion of two supple hammers which the player manages skillfully with both hands

Hungarian Cembalo

Or the Zimbalon, whose strings vibrates under the percussion of two supple hammers which the player…

A simple harmonic horn in D, without pistons or crooks. perhaps less carefully made than the others, but in all points similar to them .

Cor de Chasse

A simple harmonic horn in D, without pistons or crooks. perhaps less carefully made than the others,…

"Another [Chinese] stringed instrument is the Se, (also written Che), which had originally 50 strings. as now used, it has only 25 strings. Four kinds are in use, differing in size and in number of strings. It is customary that they should give the sound of two notes simultaneously, generally octaves. Some of these, used by the most skillful performers, have only 13 or 14 strings. The strings are plucked by two small ivory picks." --Baltzell, 1905

Che

"Another [Chinese] stringed instrument is the Se, (also written Che), which had originally 50 strings.…

This is an illustration of Daphnis and Chloe, characters in a Greek novel by artist C.H. Shannon. The drawing seems to show one of the characters playing a musical instrument amongst cattle.

Daphnis and Chloe

This is an illustration of Daphnis and Chloe, characters in a Greek novel by artist C.H. Shannon. The…

An illustration of a man playing the cithara.

Cithara

An illustration of a man playing the cithara.

An illustration of a man playing the cithara.

Asiatic Cithara

An illustration of a man playing the cithara.

An illustration of a Roman cithara.

Roman Cithara

An illustration of a Roman cithara.

An illustration of a four course cittern.

Four Course Cittern

An illustration of a four course cittern.

A large clarinet whose range is an octave below the B-flat clarinet

Bass Clarinet

A large clarinet whose range is an octave below the B-flat clarinet

The richest instrument in compass and in variety of timbre of all the wind instruments. Its tube is absolutely cylindrical, open and its column of air is set in vibration by a single flexible reed.

Clarinet

The richest instrument in compass and in variety of timbre of all the wind instruments. Its tube is…

An illustration of an Albert model clarinet. The Albert system refers to a system of clarinet keywork and fingering developed by Eugene Albert. In the United Kingdom it is known as the simple system. The Albert system is still used, mainly by clarinetists who perform Eastern European and Turkish folk music, Klezmer, and Dixieland styles. Often these musicians prefer the Albert system due to the ease of slurring notes provided by unkeyed tone holes

Clarinet (Albert Model)

An illustration of an Albert model clarinet. The Albert system refers to a system of clarinet keywork…

An illustration of an Boehm model clarinet. The Böhm system for the clarinet is a system of clarinet keywork, developed between 1839 and 1843 by Hyacinthe Klosé and Auguste Buffet jeune. The name is somewhat deceptive; the system was inspired by Theobald Boehm's system for the flute, but differs from it (necessarily, since the clarinet overblows at the twelfth rather than the flute's octave), and Boehm himself was not involved in its development.

Clarinet (Boehm Model)

An illustration of an Boehm model clarinet. The Böhm system for the clarinet is a system of clarinet…

By adapting a key-board to a carillon we obtain an instrument more convenient for use; and besides, this admits of chords, appreggios, trills and all the rapid passages which would be impossible to the simple carillion

Carillon with Clavier

By adapting a key-board to a carillon we obtain an instrument more convenient for use; and besides,…

The contrabassoon is a larger version of the bassoon sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences. Compared to the bassoon the contrabassoon's reed is larger, the fingering is slightly different, and the instrument is twice as long.

Contrabassoon

The contrabassoon is a larger version of the bassoon sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar…

An illustration of the front (right) and back (left) of the French contrabassoon.

French Contrabassoon

An illustration of the front (right) and back (left) of the French contrabassoon.

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B♭. It is not related to the medieval cornett or cornetto. The cornet was originally derived from the post horn. Sometimes it is called a cornopean, which refers to the earliest cornets with the Stölzel valve system.

Cornet

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact…

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B♭. It is not related to the medieval cornett or cornetto. The cornet was originally derived from the post horn. Sometimes it is called a cornopean, which refers to the earliest cornets with the Stölzel valve system.

Cornet

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact…

Ordinary-shape

Cornet-A-Pistons

Ordinary-shape

Circular shape

Cornet-A-Pistons

Circular shape

Roman Cornu. Brass instrument used by the Roman Armies to give orders in battle.

Cornu

Roman Cornu. Brass instrument used by the Roman Armies to give orders in battle.

Thin plates, of a composition of cooper and tin, round in form, and slightly concave in the centre. They are clashed together producing various effects.

Cymbals

Thin plates, of a composition of cooper and tin, round in form, and slightly concave in the centre.…

Intermediate between the oboe and the cor anglais, the oboe d'amore, an instrument now fallen into neglect, was very much used in the time of Sebastian Bach.

Oboe D'amore

Intermediate between the oboe and the cor anglais, the oboe d'amore, an instrument now fallen into neglect,…

This is a curious and interesting instrument, chiefly because it is the only one in which a systematic use is made of sympathetic vibrations.

Viola D'Amore

This is a curious and interesting instrument, chiefly because it is the only one in which a systematic…

A kettle-drum is a great hemispheric basin of copper, a sort of cauldron, covered with calfskin strained so tight to give it musical vibrations. It is usual to have two drums of unequal size.

Kettle Drum

A kettle-drum is a great hemispheric basin of copper, a sort of cauldron, covered with calfskin strained…

This is a military drum, and is used in all rhythmic figures by means of alternate od simultaneous beatings with two drumsticks.

Side Drum

This is a military drum, and is used in all rhythmic figures by means of alternate od simultaneous beatings…

"The snare drum, having two heads, the upper one only being played upon by two sticks of wood; strings or snares, are stretched across the lower one, giving a peculiar resonant tone." -Foster, 1921

Snare Drum

"The snare drum, having two heads, the upper one only being played upon by two sticks of wood; strings…

This is an acoustic earpiece or early design loudspeaker, the speaker moves in accordance with the variations of an electrical signal and causes sound waves to propagate through a medium such as air.

Acoustic Earpiece

This is an acoustic earpiece or early design loudspeaker, the speaker moves in accordance with the variations…

The cor anglais, or English horn, is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family.It is a transposing instrument pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than the oboe (a C instrument), and is consequently approximately one-third longer. The fingering and playing technique used for the cor anglais are essentially the same as those of the oboe. Consequently music for the cor anglais is written a perfect fifth higher than the instrument actually sounds. This means that the fingering is the same as for the oboe. Its sounding range stretches from the E (or, rarely, E flat) below middle C to the C two octaves above middle C.

English Horn

The cor anglais, or English horn, is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family.It…

An illustration of an 18th century English Horn. The cor anglais, or English horn, is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family.It is a transposing instrument pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than the oboe (a C instrument), and is consequently approximately one-third longer. The fingering and playing technique used for the cor anglais are essentially the same as those of the oboe. Consequently music for the cor anglais is written a perfect fifth higher than the instrument actually sounds. This means that the fingering is the same as for the oboe. Its sounding range stretches from the E (or, rarely, E flat) below middle C to the C two octaves above middle C.

English Horn

An illustration of an 18th century English Horn. The cor anglais, or English horn, is a double reed…

Egyptian priestess playing a sistrum.

Egyptian Priestess

Egyptian priestess playing a sistrum.

Muse of lyric poetry and mimicry

Erato

Muse of lyric poetry and mimicry

Muse of lyric poetry and mimicry

Erato

Muse of lyric poetry and mimicry

Muse of music and lyric poetry

Euterpe

Muse of music and lyric poetry

Muse of music and lyric poetry

Euterpe

Muse of music and lyric poetry

Father Time and young boy playing double flute.

Father Time

Father Time and young boy playing double flute.

"A musical instrument of the flute or whistle class, in which the tone is produced by a stream of air striking against a sharp edge." -Whitney, 1911

Flageolet

"A musical instrument of the flute or whistle class, in which the tone is produced by a stream of air…

Bore open and cylindrical, the only in which the vibratory motion is produced from a lateral mouth-hole. It is made of wood, silver or of German Silver. Its total range, chromatically, is three full octaves

Flute

Bore open and cylindrical, the only in which the vibratory motion is produced from a lateral mouth-hole.…

"In music, an instrument of the pipe kind, in which the tone is produced by the impact of a current of air upon the edge of a hole in the side of a tube." -Whitney, 1911

Flute

"In music, an instrument of the pipe kind, in which the tone is produced by the impact of a current…

Musician playing a double flute

Double flute

Musician playing a double flute

Double flute from a representation found at Herculaneum

Double flute

Double flute from a representation found at Herculaneum

Single flute

Single flute

Single flute

A disk of bronze, of peculiar composition and temper, the secret of which is only known to the Chinese. It is struck upon with a mallet covered with felt or rags

Chinese Gong

A disk of bronze, of peculiar composition and temper, the secret of which is only known to the Chinese.…

Grecian female with double flute dressed for festive occasion

Grecian Female with Double Flute

Grecian female with double flute dressed for festive occasion

Grecian female with double flute dressed for funeral procession.

Ancient Grecian Female with Double Flute

Grecian female with double flute dressed for funeral procession.