Schweizer Conzertina
System: Kaspar Wicky, 168 tones
unisonoric, logical
Collection Schlossmuseum Beromünster/Schweiz
Manufacture: Kaspar Wicky (Beromünster, Switzerland), Patent 1896
Kaspar Wicky, in collaboration with D. Kümin, constructed the first unisonoric tone system in bandonion size. In the picture, his concertina is held by two movable stands.
The multiple inventor Wicky
also developed wind instruments and a washing machine. He spent seven years in the USA mill construction
and repair.
(detailed in German: "From the history of the Wicky family of musicians")
William Wakker in the USA builds Concertinas with the Wicky system.
Logical system consisting of six whole tone rows with an offset of a fifth according to the patent specification. Similar in principle to the Jankò keyboard patented in 1883 with an offset of a semitone.
On the outer left are all b-tones on the left and all #-tones on the right. The system enables the same fingering patterns in several keys, so that a piece can be played with the same fingering in the most important keys.
The above 54 keys for one side are theoretical. Instruments with up to 42 keys on one side areverifiable.
90 years later, Brian Hayden reinvented the system in 1980 and used it with modifications for his Hayden Duett Concertina.
One of today's very rare Schweizer Conzertina by Kaspar Wicky in the Schlossmuseum Beromünster in Switzerland. The photos of the instrument shown here were taken by a friendly member of the museum staff on request. Many thanks!
The action with keys and pads of a 5-row Schweizer Conzertina.
The metal action levers are arranged in two layers one above the other. The coloured keys distinguish between light whole tones (white on the Kalvier) and red semitones (b/# accents, black on the piano).
Levers of the lower level
The round pads are covered with velvet on the underside for wind sealing the chambers.
View into the bellows and onto the reedplates and soundposts.
One reedplate attached to a horizontal soundpost and four reedplates attached to two vertical soundposts.
Top view:
Two upright soundposts on the left, one horizontal on the right and keys.
D. Kümin wrote a school for the Swiss concertina in 1897, which was printed in Leipzig in German and English.
The Wicky family making music on Schweizer Conzertina in three sizes.
