From the archive

Musical instruments

The collection of musical instruments comprises over 800 inventory numbers, although it should be noted that instrument parts or violin bows, for example, are often also regarded as individual "musical instruments".

Many of the pieces in the collection are historically significant and should be accessible to the general public. To this end, 115 of the instruments are currently on loan to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where they are displayed in the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments at the Vienna Hofburg.

Our collection includes all types of musical instruments: woodwind, brass, string instruments, keyboard, and percussions.

Although the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde owns no Stradivarius or Guarneni violins, it possesses some instruments of considerable value. The historical keyboard instruments are fascinating. There is a Venetian harpsichord from the year 1546, not to mention various fortepianos including an André Stein from 1825, a fortepiano that probably came from the estate of the piano virtuoso Carl Czerny, as well as a piano, which Clara Schumann received as a wedding present. Another unique item is a combination of harmonium and piano owned by Franz Liszt.

As far as string instruments are concerned, several are from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The octobass, a double bass rarity that is almost 3.5 meters tall, is gigantic.

Also worth mentioning are some ethnomusicologically interesting musical instruments

Numerous instruments can be played and are presented as part of the concert cycle titled: “Aus der Schatzkammer”.

The archive director organises and moderates the concerts. The main focus of theses concerts is not only to present instruments from the collection but also to promote unknown compositions.

To the cycle