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"the Project"...


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Hi all,

 

So, as some may have guessed from my previous posts, my next instrument will be a very special one...

"The project" in question is ... Levitina #2 !

 

For those who don't know, Levitina is a hybrid instrument designed by Emmanuel Pariselle, which combines

the layout of an anglo with the look and sound of a bandoneon (two voices with octave tuning). Emmanuel

only built one of them a decade ago for Bertram Levy (hence the name). As far as I know the only place where

this one can be heard is here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ty05stkR14

 

The project started last summer and was longly discussed with Emmanuel (and also with Bertram who demonstrated it to me by skype). We agreed on 36 buttons (maybe 37), C/G with registers switches which enable to select the two voices independantly (thereby providing three instruments in a single one : a treble, a baritone, or both !). The mechanics of the button should be improved compared to Bertram's one, as Emmanuel was not very satisfied with this part.

 

Emmanuel just sent me a picture of the woodwork (this is walnut burl). What do you think ?

The comment from Emmanuel is "Now I remember I sweared I would never make another one" :)

post-4359-0-89348600-1380976448_thumb.jpg

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The comment from Emmanuel is "Now I remember I sweared I would never make another one" :)

Oh Yes ! I know that feeling very well... I want to say this every time I finish an instrument... but ,unfortunately that is how I make a living so I just have to continue..... :wacko:

 

The Walnut looks nice.... Good luck to you both with this project.

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Looks very nice!

 

Did you polish the wood before cutting out the fretwork? Is it French polished?

 

When I made ends for the concertina in my avatar I polished after cutting the fretwork. I thought about polishing first, and maybe next time :huh: I'll do that.

Edited by SteveS
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Congratulations. It looks wonderful! I think that it is a wonderful project for sharing with fellow members.

I am also very interested in the results of it.

I am revisiting my anglo concertina layout, as a result of studying the maccann duet layout, in which I am learning a lot about accompaniment possibilities that I never realised that would be possible also in the anglo conceritna as I played a lot in melodic style and when with accompaniment catching chords or arpeggios in the air while playing. I have some notions of my accordion playing, tonic, dominant, subdominant, etc. but I really didn't researched depthly them in the concertina.

I love the free and more accompaniment possibilities of the angloconcertina, and different registers of the levitina will sound really wonderful and very interesting. It is an interesting project for the future of the concertina.

I have to go out of the ompa ompa mental style but some times it is easier to do it without

Shall you name your levitina also levitina or Fabritina?

Keep us informed!

Edited by felix castro
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Hi Felix

Regarding harmony, I have some background on it (I played some jazz piano in my youth),

but on the anglo, I find that it often works better to just let the fingers run on the keyboard and

find the chords by themselves than theorising too much !

 

About the name : I think "Angloneon" could also fit well for such an instrument...

However, Emmanuel calls it a Levitina and I will keep that name.

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Yes, it works nicely and it is the main reason because I didn't researched more these years about that matter, but when moving to the duet or using buttons in the anglo that I commonly don't use for chording,or searching for more uncommon harmonies, it explain why some chords fit nicely and sounds nice, and I need to learn at least the notes that I am doing. ;-).

 

Angloneon sounds fine also, but Levitina is also a good name and the original one.

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Angloneon sounds fine also, but Levitina is also a good name and the original one.

 

"Angloneon" sounds like something that should be available in bright colors.

 

On the other hand, a "Levitina" should just float in the air, so you can concentrate on your playing without worrying about how to support it.

 

:)

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On the other hand, a "Levitina" should just float in the air, so you can concentrate on your playing without worrying about how to support it.

 

:)

 

That, or the case should be lined with denim.

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  • 3 months later...

Hi all

Here are some news about the "Levitina" project.

The project took a little delay because Emmanuel changed his mind regarding the design of the action :

He initially planned something in the bandoneon type (as far as I understand) but eventually switched

to a concertina-like action. He also asked some help to his great friend Colin for this part of the design.

So eventually the levitina will be a Pariselle-Dipper !

Latest news are quite positive, and the achievement of the project is approaching...

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Missed the initial post on this topic. I've seen the original instrument and Bertram has played it for me on a few occasions when I visited with him. I thought it had a great sound and I recall he said it was built with a Wheatstone layout. I've often thought it would be nice to have that rich full sound in a button pattern I was familiar with. It'll be interesting to see and hear the result of your efforts.

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