Music & Musical Instruments - Overview
The Museum's music collections contain more than 5,000 instruments of American and European heritage. These include a quartet of 18th-century Stradivari stringed instruments, Tito Puente's autographed timbales, and the Yellow Cloud guitar that belonged to Prince, to name only a few. Several of these rare instruments can be heard in performances of the Smithsonian Chamber Players and in other public programs. Music collections also include jukeboxes and synthesizers, square-dancing outfits and sheet music, archival materials, oral histories, and recordings of performances at the Museum. The vast Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated Sheet Music is a remarkable window into the American past in words, music, and visual imagery. The Duke Ellington and Ruth Ellington Boatwright collections contain handwritten music compositions, sound recordings, business records, and other materials documenting the career of this renowned musician.
"Music & Musical Instruments - Overview" showing 3 items.
Suzuki Violin (1/4 size)
- Description (Brief)
- This violin was made by the Suzuki Violin Company Ltd. in Nagoya, Japan in 1978. The Suzuki Violin Co. in Nagoya made a line of violins specifically for export to Heinrich Roth in the United States, and applied a "RR #" to these instruments at the factory. The Scherl-Roth firm in Cleveland matched these violins with bows supplied by the Glasser Manufacturing Co. of Bronx, New York and thus provided the United States market with a line of pre-packaged instruments in a range of sizes that were appropriate for the small beginner to the mature player.
- The characteristics of Suzuki violins are varied through a range of targeted production quality. Usually the instruments are built on an outside mould, but the archings may either be pressed or carved into their final shape depending on the quality grade of the instrument. Originally the woods employed in production were from Japanese sources, but since 1960 have been imported from Germany. A scroll-carving machine invented by the founder, Masakichi Suzuki, as well as other cutting and shaping machines are utilized in the contemporary mass production process.
- This ¼ size student violin with ebony fittings has a plastic molded scroll and ear relief applied to the plain maple pegbox. Very plain spruce and maple have been used in this instrument with transparent reddish-orange varnish and inked representations of purfling.
- Description
- The Suzuki Violin Co. in Nagoya made a line of violins specifically for export to Heinrich Roth in the United States, and applied a "RR #" to these instruments at the factory. The Scherl-Roth firm in Cleveland matched these violins with bows supplied by the Glasser Manufacturing Co. of Bronx, New York and thus provide the United States market with a line of pre-packaged instruments in a range of sizes that were appropriate for the small beginner to the mature player.
- The characteristics of Suzuki violins are varied through a range of targeted production quality. Usually the instruments are built on an outside mould, but the archings may either be pressed or carved into their final shape depending on the quality grade of the instrument. Originally the woods employed in production were from Japanese sources, but since 1960 have been imported from Germany. A scroll-carving machine invented by the founder, Masakichi Suzuki, as well as other cutting and shaping machines are utilized in the contemporary mass production process.
- In addition to violins a complete line of pernambuco bows have been manufactured by the Suzuki Co., with a total output of more than one million bows. In 1989 the highest quality, hand-crafted Suzuki line of violin was listed at a purchase price of about $7700 while the least expensive, mass production model sold for about $300. Similarly a gold mounted, tortoise shell Suzuki bow listed at about $3800 while the least expensive bow, brazilwood with plastic frog, was about $100.
- This Nagoya Suzuki violin, adjusted and distributed by Scherl & Roth, was acquired in its original Japanese-made, shaped case with yellow fabric interior from the violin shop of Albert Moglie in Washington DC in 1987.
- Two of the identifying trademarks of the Nagoya Suzuki factory are a symmetrical design using three "S" letters in a stylized rosette (incorporated in 1958) and the same "S" design within an outline of a violin bridge (incorporated in 1962).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1978
- maker
- Suzuki Violin Co., Ltd.
- ID Number
- 1987.0583.05
- catalog number
- 1987.0583.05
- accession number
- 1987.0583
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Suzuki Violin (3/4 size)
- Description (Brief)
- This violin was made by the Kiso Suzuki Violin Company Ltd. in Fukushima, Kiso, Japan in 1973. The earliest makers of violins in Japan were Sadajiro Matunaga and Masakichi Suzuki (b.1859–d.1944). Both were trained as shamisen makers and began making violins based on instruments brought to Japan toward the end of the 19th century from Western sources, using Japanese pine and maple and sometimes sycamore. In 1880, proceeding with a Westernization policy, the Japanese government had instituted teacher training programs for lessons in piano, organ, and violin.
- Masakichi Suzuki established the Suzuki violin manufacturing firm in Nagoya in 1887, adding guitars and mandolins to the firm's production in 1903. The firm received an award at the Japan-British Exhibition in London in 1910, and Masakichi was further cited in 1917 by the Japanese government with a Medal of Honor for his accomplishments in the violin industry. At this time his company was producing thousands of violins each year.
- The “S” logo is employed in the label of this ¾ violin with semi-transparent, dark reddish-brown varnish and ink representation of purfling. The fittings are of dark hardwood, with the fingerboard also stained black to give the appearance of ebony. The spruce and maple are probably local Japanese woods, with interior linings and blocks of a light material similar to basswood.
- Description
- The earliest makers of violins in Japan were Sadajiro Matunaga and Masakichi Suzuki (b.1859–d.1944). Both were trained as shamisen makers and began making violins based on instruments brought to Japan toward the end of the 19th century from Western sources, using Japanese pine and maple and sometimes sycamore. In 1880, proceeding with a Westernization policy, the Japanese government had instituted teacher training programs for lessons in piano, organ, and violin.
- Masakichi Suzuki established the Suzuki violin manufacturing firm in Nagoya in 1887, adding guitars and mandolins to the firm's production in 1903. The firm received an award at the Japan-British Exhibition in London in 1910, and Masakichi was further cited in 1917 by the Japanese government with a Medal of Honor for his accomplishments in the violin industry. At this time his company was producing thousands of violins each year.
- Masakichi Suzuki had nine sons and two daughters. Two of these sons, Kikuo and Shiro established a second factory just after World War II in the city of Fukushima in the region of Kiso, Japan. Another son, Shinichi, founded the Suzuki method of violin teaching.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1973
- maker
- Suzuki Violin Co., Ltd.
- ID Number
- 1987.0583.06
- catalog number
- 1987.0583.06
- accession number
- 1987.0583
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Bellini "Lord Wilton" Violin
- Description (Brief)
- This violin was made by Luiz Bellini of Jackson Heights, New York in 1973. Bellini was born in Brazil in 1935. He first trained as a wood worker and later by a local violin maker. In order to advance his violin making skills, Bellini was encouraged to come to New York City in 1960. He trained with Simone Sacconi for two years and later became an American citizen.
- This violin is a replica of the "Lord Wilton" violin made Guarneri del Gesu in 1742. The original “Lord Wilton” was owned and played by virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin. This vioin is made of a two-piece table of spruce, one-piece back of maple, ribs of similar maple, an original maple neck, and a semi-transparent golden orange-brown varnish.
- Date made
- 1967
- date made
- 1973
- maker
- Bellini, Luiz
- ID Number
- 2002.0330.01
- accession number
- 2002.0330
- catalog number
- 2002.0330.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center