Chromatiphon
System: Hugo Stark
unisonoric, logical
(Collection Oriwohl, Nr. B-30)
Manufacture: A.B.C.-Werk, Hugo Stark (Auerbach in Vogtland, Saxony) 1920,
Patent 51c/34/337361 from 1921
This unisonoric instrument was developed and built by Hugo Stark (1873-1965).
Both manuals follow the same logical system, but are arranged in opposite directions in terms of pitch.
As with the accordion 5-rank C-fingering and 6-rank Micklitz system, two coupled auxiliary ranks result in identical fingerings for all keys on one side, as well as the same fingering patterns for both sides.
William Wakker in the USA builds Concertinas with the Hugo Stark system.
Left side:
2-choirs (7x16'+8' and 30x8'+4')
Tone intervale vertical: 1 major third;
Tone interval from inside to outside: oblique row downwards 1 minor third, oblique row upwards chromatic semitones increasing in pitch.
On the 5 years later Kusserow-Bandonion, Stark's system was adopted almost identically, only the assignment of the diagonals is reversed. The chromatic sequence is on the downward diagonal. This change can be traced back to Fritz Micklitz (son), which he stated to K. Oriwohl. In addition, the keys on the Kusserow are much narrower.
The 2 outer rows (left) repeat row 1 and 2 by mechanical coupling.
Right manual (of another Chromatiphons):
The tone assignment follows the same system as on the left side, only with a counter pitch direction.
(dis=d#, h=b, b=bb)
Right side without housing cover
The 2 auxiliary rows on the outside can only be coupled to rows 1 and 2 with elaborately bent metal arms.
For this reason, Hugo Stark promptly constructed a new type of mechanism, which he patented around 1921 as a Reformklaviatur (see next), in which these metal arms are omitted.
"A.B.C. Werke
Hugo Stark
Auerbach Vogtland"
An entry glued into the housing:
"This instrument is one of the first three instruments with the legally protected name Chromatiphon and the legally protected reform bellows. Built by the inventor Hugo Stark in August 1920"
It is not known who attached the note. There is also no mention of a "legally protected" Reformbalg (reform bellows) anywhere. The Reformklaviatur, designed by Hugo Stark and protected by law (see previous), is well known.
Advertisement Gut Ton Zeitung (Good Tone Newspaper) around 1925:
"...I can therefore in this time of progress, where it is said 'bandonion players learns to play by notes', I can highly recommend such an instrument everybody especially beginners..."
The comment about learning by notes documents the desired move away from the Griffschrift (number notation).
The fact that this remark appears in an advert for an unisonoric instrument shows, that many people who want to break away from the Griffschrift got orientation problems on the bisonoric manuals and sought a remedy in logically structured keyboards.
Hugo Stark with his Chromatiphon on the 90th birthday (1963) in his Berlin flat.
Hugo Stark and birthday guest Karl Oriwohl.
