Musical Instruments
The shapes of sound
The collection was formed with the aim of locally reviving the tradition of high craftsmanship that flourished in the 18th and early 19th centuries around the Este court. Special attention is given to the great Modenese luthiers, such as Pietro Termanini, maker of the exquisite harpsichord dated 1741, Domenico Bertani and Antonio Apparuti.
The core of the exhibit, which includes aerophones, keyboards, bowed strings and cordophones, is constituted by the collection donated by Count Luigi Francesco Valdrighi in 1892.
The instruments are signed by both Italian and foreign craftsmen, including Ermenegildo Magazari, Thomas Stanesby Junior and Johann Wilhelm Oberlender and are predominantly 18th and 19th century pieces.
Instruments such as Giovan Battista Dall’Olio’s hammer dulcimer and several brass instruments made by Antonio Apparuti, also a highly-respected gunsmith, are respresentative of the Este Duchy’s production.
Important characters and events in the musical life of the city are recalled in paintings and sculptures, such as the gravestone of the court master organist Gasparo Trombetti designed by Francesco del Cossa.