Aussellungsansicht Klingende Sammlung

The Playing Collection

The new Music Museum in Bern

What does a lur, a serpent or a contrabass saxophone sound like? Which instruments were playing together in orchestras and bands of earlier periods. And will I manage to get a tone out of an alphorn, the taragot or an ancient Roman cornu? Questions such as these are explored in the exhibition «C’est le vent qui fait la musique». Wind instruments and drums spanning 300 years of history can be marveled at as well as heard through the free video guide. And additionally, there are many instruments available to try playing on your own!
The Playing Collection, based on Karl Burri’s legendary and internationally renowned collection of instruments, was rescued through a private foundation and is now on view in the middle of Bern since 2017.

The Playing Collection
AMOR & ECHO
Inventions for musical instrumente
until Su, 29.03.2026

Why an echo valve for the cornet? Should a clarinet be played electronically? And how can the organ be given a breath of fresh air? 

Instrument makers have developed countless innovations to fulfill the wishes of musicians and composers - or to challenge them with new inventions...

 

AMOR & ECHO displays a number of such inventions and presents them in sound and video on our tablets.

 

The Playing Collection
From the Chamber to the Concert Hall
«Collegium musicum», the orchestra of the 18th century
Sa, 24.05.2025 – Su, 29.03.2026

Music boomed in Switzerland in the 18th century. Wealthy citizens owned their own instruments and even a small music library. In Basel this was the silk ribbon manufacturer Lukas Sarasin (1730-1802), in Bern Karl Friedrich von Steiger (1754-1841) on his country estate in Tschugg. The exhibition presents the musical activities of these Musikkollegien and their repertoire.

 

The Playing Collection
Exhibition on wind instruments from 300 years and try to play by yourself
English videoguide included
Permanent exhibition

Accompanying programme