The History of Musical Instruments Video(VHS/DVD). This outstanding 13-part series discusses modern musical instruments in elaborate detail. Each program focuses on a different instrument—its origin, history, how it is made, how it works. Viewers visit factories and watch as expert craftsmen construct each instrument. Performances on both the original version of the instrument and its modern counterpart illustrate its use by composers over time. 13-part series, 28 minutes each.