Bandonion
Rheinisch system by Zimmermann, Band, 60 tones (bisonoric)
(Collection Oriwohl, Nr. 339) ♫ Audio (only demo, no art)
Manufacture: circa 1850 (H: 15,5cm D: 17,5cm)
Lead reedplates with nickel silver reeds and brass replacement reeds; (1,35 kg)
Heinrich Band ran one of the largest music shops and distributors far beyond Krefeld. He was not a producer like Zimmermann or Uhlig, but a dealer. He bought instruments from manufacturers or commissioned them from them.
He did not advertise Konzertinas for sale with Uhlig's name Concertina, which had been in use for 20 years, but until around 1855 as Accordions, although these instruments had no chords.
Afterwards he adopted the name Bandonion for business differentiation.
The left side is unchanged from the previous Konzertina in terms of key numbering and tone assignment.
This shows that only minor changes were made by Band in the form of tone enhancements to the keyboard system of Konzertinas.
About 80% of the tone assignments, including key numbering, on modified concertinas are identical to C.F. Zimmermann's system.
There can be no talk of an own instrument draft or even an invention of the bandonion regarding his changes and extensions to the keyboards.
On the right side, 2 buttons have been added on top.
These operate 4 additional reeds with wind, increasing the number of tones from 56 to 60.
When expanding the stock of tones, there was always the question of how the new tones should be added to the existing system. This was partly predetermined by the space available.
There is no room on the outside of the instrument for another row, which is why the keys have been added to the top, according to the most favourable playability for this case.
Right manual:
The continuous, logical Carlsfeld key numbering 0-13 is broken with the two new keys 2/0 and 3/0.
The new numbering scheme means keys 2 and 3 to the left of 0. Whether this is an extension of Band or Zimmermann from Carlsfeld cannot yet be definitively proven, but can only be conjectured on the basis of a few sources.
With new tone extensions in a larger case, the keys 4/0, 5/0, 6/0 and 7/0 will follow to the left of it.
Left manual:
This one continuous numbering scheme will also be terminated by fractional symbols such as 2/0 etc. for tone extensions.
Right side:
Keyboard mechanism
Right side:
3 lead reedplates on flat chambers (two plates are attached on the left).
"Heinrich Band (1821-60), Music teacher and constructor of the harmonica named after him ("Bandonion")"
"Constructor" only applies to the sound extensions made by Band. All previous developments can be traced back to C.F. Uhlig from Chemnitz and C.F. Zimmermann from Carlsfeld.
Uhlig developed the core of the keyboard system of all concertinas and later bandonions and chose the bisonoric construction as well as the rectangular case shape.
Zimmermann extended Uhlig's keyboard. Some be said for him as the originator of the Rheinische system instead of Band. In addition, he devised (like Buschmann before) and patented the 2-chord octave tuning for his instruments, which results in the typical sharp sound.
Without Uhlig and Zimmermann, the Bandonion would lack great parts of the keyboard and sound quite thin.
Advertisement in the Crefeld newspaper of 1850:
"To the accordion friends.
Through a new invention we have again significantly perfected our accordions..."
Although already advertised in the inseret with 88 to 104 tones the name Bandonion does not seem to exist yet. Konzertinas of all kinds, with which he trades, are called by the generic term Accordion.
At the same time H. Band published an "Accordion School" on which a Konzertina is depicted.
Crefeld address book entry from 1856:
"Johann Schmitz, Musical Instrument Dealers,
...recommends its stock in all kinds of
Accordion's, Concertina's
(by some probably also called Bandonion's)...
...and octave pressure,..."
One dealer notes that previous Accordion's, Concertina's are now also called Bandonion by some.
The "octave pressure" is Zimmermann's patented 2-choirs form.
