Within the Philharmonie de Paris, the Museum of Music represents a collection of more than 7,000 instruments and art objects, with almost 1,000 on exhibit in the permanent exhibition space, including national treasures and legendary instruments such as a piano belonging to Chopin and a guitar belonging to Brassens. The museum presents a history of Western music from the 17th century to today and an overview of the main musical cultures of the world.
What makes the Museum of Music so colourful is the temporary exhibitions it hosts alongside its permanent collection. Always on the theme of music, these exhibitions bring together different artistic disciplines and areas of the world, with complex thematic angles such as The Third Reich and Music, Paul Klee Polyphonies, Song of the River: the Harps of Central African, Europunk, Great Black Music or monographs such as Serge Gainsbourg, Frederic Chopin, Miles Davis, John Lennon, Georges Brassens or David Bowie is.
This exhibition is an invitation to rediscover the work of the master of silent film from a musical vantage point, shining the spotlight on the close relation to dance, rhythm and the illusion of speech and sound, all rigorously “orchestrated” in each of Chapin’s works.
Working together since the 1980s, the artistic duo known as Pierre et Gilles have captured the iconic aura of multiple generations of stars in their photo-paintings. With this exhibition conceived as musical and visual installation, they reveal the secrets of their art of image creation.
From his earliest scenes of gypsy life, flute players in the 1970s and harlequin musicians, to his cubist Guitars, collaborations with the Ballets Russes and bacchanal canvases, this exhibition explores the musical dimension running throughout Picasso’s work.
The Museum of Music is certified under the “Musée de France” label.