Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

concertina

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    concertina

    How about my favorite (or second favorite) instrument, the concertina:
    http://www.free-reed.co.uk/galpin/g2.htm

    Allan W. Atlas: The Victorian Concertina: Some Issues Relating to Performance
    http://www.concertina.com/atlas/victorian-concertina-performance/
    Present-day players of the ‘English’ concertina must make a number of important decisions when delving into and performing the large repertory of art music that was written for the instrument in Victorian England. These decisions become especially critical for those who would perform the music in a manner that may at least approximate the way it may have sounded in the nineteenth century. Briefly, there are three basic decisions to be made. The first two concern the choice of instrument: (1) modern instrument or period (Victorian) instrument; and (2) if the latter, what kind of instrument in terms of reeds (type of metal), tuning, structure of the bellows and number of buttons. The third decision, on the other hand, has to do with a fundamental question of playing technique: should we use three or four fingers of each hand?


    I have found quite a few primary references to it dating to 1830s - 40s, but little or nothing from the 1860s. Does anyone have any U.S. primary sources? I doubt there would have been much in the way of sheet music for it, so more of a "folk instrument."
    Terre Schill

    [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SongToTheLamb/"]SongToTheLamb[/URL]
    [URL="http://www.shapenote.net/"]Sacred Harp.mus[/URL]
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: concertina

    As far as internet sources go, www.concertina.com is one of the best. If you look under the instruction page, you should find a number of .pdf files of of original instruction manuals, each with a great many songs within. For example:
    Minasi's "Instruction Book", published 1846
    Warren's "Instructins for the Double Concertina", published by Wheatstone in 1855
    "Instructions for Performing on Wheatstone's Patent Duet Concertina", also 1855
    Howe's "Eclectic School for the Concertina" and "Western German Concertina School", both 1879 (with many melodies popularized during the 1860's)

    See also:
    Atlas, Allan W. 1999. The 'Respectable' Concertina . Music & Letters, Vol. 80, No. 2; pp. 241-253.
    Atlas, Allan W. 1996. The Wheatstone English Concertina in Victorian England. Oxford University Press


    M. Lowe
    [B]Matthew Ezra Lowe[/B]
    [SIZE="1"]P.M., Riley Lodge No. 390
    Terre Haute Lodge No. 19[/SIZE]
    [SIZE="1"]M.Phil., Hughes Hall College, University of Cambridge[/SIZE]

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: concertina

      I attempt to be a squeezebox player, but since I don't have a period concertina it doesn't come to events.

      I remember there being comments about concertinas on the old AC before the crash(es). Does anybody recall primary sources? As for word of mouth history, I see no reason why concertinas were not around in the Americas, and very popular among the English tradition. I believe the instrument is divided into two schools, styles, or design. These are the Anglo/Irish and the German concertina. Due to the heavy Irish and German immigration, I could probably make the assumption that they were available in the States.

      There are two awesome modern Concertina players I'd recommend a listen to:
      John Kirpatrick of England (former member of Steeleye Span) and John Williams of America (former member of SOLAS). I do know that John Williams plays an Anglo-Concertina that is original to the 1840's or 50's.

      Regards,
      Your Obedient,

      Matthew B. Bursig
      52nd New York Regt. "German Rangers",
      & The Daybreak B'hoys Mess

      Researching the Life and Times of the 20th NYSV Regt. The "United Turner Rifles"

      "Bahn Frei!!"

      Comment

      Previous template Next
      Working...
      X