American Chemnitzer Concertina
Chemnitzer- and Rheinisches System, 104 tones
bisonoric
(Collection Oriwohl, Nr. 269)
Manufacture: Alfred Arnold (Carlsfeld in Saxony) 1940
(H: 25cm, T: 30cm, 6,5 kg); 3-choirs with one register
This bisonoric instrument is exemplary for the various attempts to optimise concertina and bandonion systems. On the right, the manual of a Konzertina and that of a bandonion on the left (each with a slight modification) to form a new model.
The name American refers to the state of Minnesota in the USA and neighbouring areas in Canada, where it was taken by Bohemian emigrants. It is still a popular part of musical life there, for example in the town New Prague. But it is also an integral part of the musical tradition in the polka stronghold of Chicago.
Left side:
3-choirs (5x8'+8'+4' and 19x16'+8'+4')
The manual corresponds (with a few changes) to that of the 88-tone bandonion with 21 keys on the left and was then extended to the 24 keys shown here.
Who combination of systems and where it took place, in Europe or in the USA, there is no information available. The standard model of the American Chemnitzer Concertina has 52 keys with 104 tones.
Right side:
2-choirs with tremolo (8'+8°) plus one register of 16' (small handle to the left of the air flap lever)
Clearly visible are the typical broken (bevelled) corners of the case. These are also called "lyre corners", because they are usually decorated with the image of a lyre.
The manual corresponds to that of the Deutsche Konzertina with the Chemnitzer system, except for a few changes.
Right manual:
Chemnitzer Konzertina system
Left manual:
Independently extended bandonion system with changes in tone assignment and numbering
There is no information on the distribution of the instrument in Germany available. However, the Berlin concertina virtuoso, Arthur Mersiowsky, played this system. He is also said to have owned the white concertina pictured at the beginning.
In 1926, for example, Arthur Mersiowsky performed as a soloist in the then still young radio as a soloist with his own compositions and participated in recordings.
Left, the concertina player in the magazine "FunkStunde" of 1927, announced as a soloist for the "Kunterbunt Evening".
"Attention! Theft!
The popular bandonion virtuoso Arthur Mersiowsky was his rather new, wonderful Alfred Arnold bandonion stolen..."
The thieves turned up with the loot at Berlin's best-known bandonion maker Wilhelm König, in order to make money out of it. To the disadvantage of the crooks König recognised his customer's instrument immediately.
Musicians take care of your instruments!
