Kusserow-Bandonion
System: Zademack, Micklitz(Sohn), Gerlinger
unisonoric, logical
(Collection Oriwohl, Nr. 99)
Manufacture: Co. Meinel u. Herold (founded 1893, Klingenthal, Saxony), from 1925. Aluminium single reedplates with steel reeds, 2-choirs.
This model is the end point of the developments mentioned in the latest instruments. From the first Zademack model to the A. Gerlinger auxiliary row 22 years passed. In the meantime, the left side was completely discarded and redesigned. All with the aim of saving learners the laborious and time-consuming task of searching for notes on the bisonoric instruments.
Left side:
2-choirs (8'+8' und 4x16'+8')
The new keyboard division by Richard Micklitz, son (1898 - ?), which possibly based on the Chromatiphon developed by Hugo Stark around 1920 since the tone intervals between the keys are identical.
Right side:
2-choirs (8'+8')
The result of A. Gerlinger's considerations is an auxiliary row added above, which allows tied play over more than four keys.
Right manual:
The tone assignment of the keys according to Julius Zademack
The blue repeat row is used for tied playing and variable fingerings. The auxiliary row (orange) devised by A. Gerlinger enables to play six keys of a row (chromatic tone sequence) legato with four fingers.
In order to avoid the large finger spread between the index and middle fingers, the Peter Spende assigned Gerlinger's auxiliary row on his instruments built around 2005 with the fifth row a# - d3. After the index finger on the auxiliary row, the chromatic tone sequence can be continued more comfortably with the ring finger.
Left manual: The tone assignment of the keys according to Richard Micklitz system
He used intervals between the keys identical to the Chromatiphon, but reversed the direction of the semitone steps so that they descend from the inside to the outside and starts with another inner row (a-c#-f-a) as the starting point.
The two outer repetition rows (colored) result in the same fingerings for the triads in all keys, and almost all tetrachords.
Three Kusserow bandonion players around 1935
A woman with an instrument in public was still unusual at the time. Music-making for women was only considered "proper" in the context of domestic music or a family ensemble. Outside of this, music-making was reserved for men only in accordance with Christian morals.
It was not until the 1920s that there were changes in religiously standardized gender roles.The first women, like 'Trautchen Stenzel' here, took the freedom to indulge in their musical hobby.
