Are you in St. Paul, MN and a fan of music? Do you like Frederic’s Chopin or Franz Schubert? (Pronounced-Shoe-Bear) Then the Schubert Club-Museum of Musical Instruments in wonderful St. Paul, Minnesota is the place for you. If you’re into learning about the history of music going back several centuries while gaining a close-up glimpse at the styles, tools, and artists who shaped it, the Schubert Club is your place.
You can experience the “sound of music” and the jubilation that it brings while perusing a gallery which takes you through keyboard history and a gigantic ‘cyclone” sculpture of instruments right here in St. Paul. Don’t forget to comb through the large collection of correspondence between famous composers, or try some of the Gamelan Instruments dating back a thousand years.
Keyboard Evolution
The Keyboard Evolution Exhibit allows you to hear the way the sound of keyboards has evolved over the years while shaping the course of classical music. You’ll explore through generations of sound and learn why each keyboard sounds the way it does. You can hear Mozart’s Twinkle, Twinkle at one played on several different instruments and keyboards like the 17th Century Italian Harpsichord, the 1726 Cristofori Fortepiano, or the Taws 1791 Square Piano. You will also hear the Mozart classic on a Broadwood 1795, a Stien 1830 Square Piano, an Erard 1844 Upright Piano, and a Streicher 1869 Grand Piano, all without leaving the city of St. Paul.
You’ll also find some other keyboards in which you can hear Beethoven or Mendelssohn.
Gilman Ordway Manuscript Collection
Are you interested in getting inside the mind of some of the most talented and tortured artists of the last five hundred years? How would you like to take a gander at a letter Tchaikovsky wrote from his home outside of Moscow? Or a letter of deep gratitude Haydn wrote to his Godson? Maybe you’ll enjoy reading over a letter written by Mozart or John Phillip Sousa? Don’t forget to check out the Ira Gershwin manuscript as well the Chopin text where he laments on his displeasure with his financial situation.
Museum Events
Come out to the Schubert Club in St. Paul, Minnesota for one of the many exciting events being staged throughout the year. You can enjoy First Thursdays in the Schubert Club Museum which allows for late hour viewing of the exhibits or attend an event in the Thelma Hunter Recital Room which is a music parlour used for performances and gatherings.
The Music in the Park Series is another way to spend a beautiful day in St. Paul, MN. Come check out the Miro Quartet on September 23rd at 4 p.m. On October 14th at 4 p.m. you can see and hear the Trio con Brio Copenhagen. Alexander Fiterstein and Friends perform on November 18th at 4 p.m.
The Schubert Club-Museum of Musical Instruments provides many different ways to experience musical culture and history here in St. Paul. You’ll leave feeling harmonious and more educated after a spending a day with the Schubert Club.
***BONUS*** If you love a great dive bar, the Nook basement in St. Paul might be your kind of place. They say the Nook is a small place with big burgers and a bowling alley… and an even bigger reputation.