A Wonderful Museum

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 25, 4 January 1929, Page 24

A Wonderful Museum

. Unique : Collection .of Abasioat ‘Instruments: pune is in the heart of Western London a ° little-known © but -delightful ‘collection,. hidden: away in‘ @ gilded. ‘and ornate dungeon beneath the Royal ‘College of Music. * It consists ‘of rare. and ancient musical, instruments, and is the result: of ‘the life-long hobby of. the late Sir George Donaldson, a2 once famous art. dealer of Bond Street, who died in 1925 and left. these treasures to the Royal College. Many- of them are historically teresting, such as the guitar of d Rizzio Perhaps he played it to Mary Queen o’ Scots on the day ‘he was' dragged from her presence and stabbed to death. The "virginal’ may have been that.on which Queen Elizabeth showed her undoubted skill. :[nstruments such’ as these, no doubt well known in their day, have ‘long : been forgotten: the "pandurina" (Spanish, dated 1700); the "pochetto," a tiny two-stringed fiddle with a ram’s heud carved in ebony; the "rebec," a threestringed fiddle; the "espinette," with five strings; the "orphion," a portable. lute-shaped pianette with shoulderstraps; the ‘"colascione," a -twostringed lute; the "theorbo," elevenstringed lute; the "baryton," a kind of ’cello; the "melophone," played by moving little rings with the fingers: the "dulcian," the "cor Anglais," and many more. Of Kit violins (sordini) there pre several curious examples, some of them two-stringed. A "clavyeytherium" (earliest known piano) dates from the.fifteenth century. There are many really beautiful works of art amongst them, » The "theorbo" has a dancing party engraved on the ivory, which is quaint beyond description. -One case is filled with hurdy-gurdies ‘‘vielles," draw-ing-room instruments a hundred years ngo). But the lutes are gems; one of them is 6ft. Gin. high and broad in proportion; it is difficult, to imagine how it could have been played. "THE collection takes one back centuries, and one can picture the Romeo of the period accompanying his love-ditty beneath the window of his inamorata with the "orphion" hanging. round his neck. Many 2 melodious midnight ramble has, the 200-year-old Neapolitan marggyine shared, and prime ballerine ma ave learnt their first "steps" from the tiny, delicate sordini. A musical missal known as a "gradual," with its iNuminations and heavy gold lettering, must .be worth a small fortune; it dates from the fourteenth century.