Instrument Store

The Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles is home to an important historic collection of high quality instruments. For a number of years, the Conservatoire has ordered, restored and adapted instruments in order to keep up-to-date with the latest research in instrument-building.


The department of Early Music owns a number of instruments from this collection: string instruments (violins, cellos with four and five strings, bass violins, double basses...), bows, wind instruments (recorder, bassoon, horn, oboe and flute...) and keyboards (organ, harpsichord, pianoforte...). The instrument store is a real research tool which is available to students depending on the needs of the different classes.
Within the Early music department, there is a system of internal loans which allows for regular exchange of instruments. This flexibility means that students are able to use instruments which are appropriate to the repertoire they are currently studying.


Inventory of historical instruments available within the department of Early Music

Strings

  • Violins et viola
    8 baroque violins and 1 baroque viola, including one piccolo violin
  • Celli
    7 baroque celli, including 3 five-stringed celli
  • Bass violin
    1 bass violin with 5 strings
  • Double bass
    1 baroque double basse with 4 strings

Bows

  • Violin
    2 baroque bows and 2 classical bows
  • Viola
    1 baroque bow
  • Cello
    6 baroques bows
  • Double bass
    1 baroque bow

Wind

  • Oboe
    2 classical oboes and 1 oboe d'amore
  • Bassoon
    1 baroque bassoon 
  • Horns
    1 baroque horn                                                                                       
  • Flutes
    4 baroques flutes and 1 classical flute
  • Recorders
    1 Renaissance consort a460 by Adriana Breukink consisting of:
    2 sopranos in D, 1 soprano in C, 2 alto in G, 2 tenor in C, 1 bassette in F, 1 bass in B
    two Yamaha tenors for contemporary music
    1 Paetzold subbass

Keyboards

  • Pianoforte
    copy of a viennese instrument (Fritz) from 1814, made by D. Hungerberg
    copie of Anton Walter from 1795, made by Maene
    Original pleyel from 1850
  • Harpsichords
    copy of Cristian Zell, one keyboard, Hamburg 1728, made by C. Fuchs
    copy of  Allessandro Trasuntino, Venise 1531-1537, made by V. Platte
    copy of  Andreas Ruckers 1644, made by C. Kuhlmann
    copy of  Pascal Taskin, Paris 1769, two keyboards, made by H. Bédard
    copy of  Henri Hemsch, Paris 1736, two keyboards, made by A. Bonza
    instrument in the style of Delin, made by I. de Halleux
  • Chamber organs
    instrument in two parts reconstructed in the Italian style of the 17th Century, made by L. Meurisse
    8'-8'-4' instrument made by J. Deblieck