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HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

Musical instruments have changed significantly over the centuries, so mastery of period instruments, which vary greatly and lack the uniformity of their modern equivalents, requires virtuosity and versatility. The musicians who play these instruments are difficult to replace. 

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Jan Couchet the Elder (Flemish)
Chordophone-Zither-plucked-harpsichord, circa 1650; Courtesy of The Met Museum

The rich array of excellent UK period-instrument ensembles – ranging in size from trios to full orchestras – perform in leading music venues and festivals across the country and abroad, bringing a freshness of approach and variety to the classical music landscape.

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Piero di Cosimo's Perseus Frees Andromeda, 1510-1515 (Uffizi)

OAE INSTRUMENTS

Some musicians play the original instruments, or faithful replicas, for which the music was composed at the time. Discover some of the amazing instruments played by musicians from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Introducing the Lirone
00:55
Introducing Haydn's Oboe
04:09
These 20th Century Percussion Instruments have been the same for hundreds of years
02:24
Deleted video
00:39
Haydn's famous contrabassoon solo
01:34
The mellow sound of Bach's Oboe da Caccia
04:20
Introducing the Alphorn
03:16

PERIOD INSTRUMENTS

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