Paul Read Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I have a Lachenal with raised metal ends from around 1904, I believe. It has two thumb-operated levers. A friend tells me they are 'bowing levers' used to simulate fiddle bowing effects. I understand that this has been discussed on the forum before, but I can find nothing about them. Perhaps I have the wrong term for them. Does anybody have any information? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan atlas Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 DEAR PAUL: yes, they've been discussed to great length. . . . .there's a summary in my CONTEMPLATING THE CONCERTINA. . . .published this past Fall by the Button Box. . . . . . . . BEST ADVICE: put everything on "open" and make believe they're not there...........allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goran rahm Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 BEST ADVICE: put everything on "open" and make believe they're not there...........allan Why so negative Allan..? Here we have an instrument provided with the elusive bowing valves and a curious 'freshman' ready to use them....Why not stimulate some optimism and some inspiration from the Alsepti tutor for a year or two in order to find out if there is anything in it you haven't discovered....?....:-) Goran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Read Posted January 15, 2004 Author Share Posted January 15, 2004 Thanks guys. Alan, your book was supposed to be in my Christmas stocking but Santa blew it! Sometime soon though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexCJones Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 If there are no photographs of such an instrument on the web, then it would be really neat if you would photograph it, and append the image to a reply in this topic. Thanks! BTW, the Horniman Museum's collection of Concertina photographs is still off line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Prebble Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Hi Alex, Here is a picture of a Lachenal New Model with bowing valve currently for sale by Chris Algar. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...95&category=359 Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 I think you'll find the patent at www.maccann-duet.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan atlas Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 FOLKS: you'll also find a good illustration in alsepti's tutor. . . . .though it is a line-cut illustration. . . . . . Göran: by all means, Paul should have a go at it. . . . . . .by the way, i recently came across a review of one of Regondi's concerts in Vienna (i think it was in Vienna) during the winter of 1840-1841. . . . . .quite aside from the fact that he performed with Mozart's son. . . . .one of the reviewers mentioned that he played the instrument with FIVE fingers (on each hand)................allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 (edited) i recently came across a review of one of Regondi's concerts in Vienna (i think it was in Vienna) during the winter of 1840-1841. . . . . .quite aside from the fact that he performed with Mozart's son. . . . .one of the reviewers mentioned that he played the instrument with FIVE fingers (on each hand)................allan So that was his secret ! (Don't tell Douglas Rogers, he'll never get over it.) Edited January 16, 2004 by Stephen Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goran rahm Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Stephen:"So that was his secret !" Goran:Hm..secret fifth finger carefully hidden on the (child) portraits...well, we hardly need to believe that..... Another more substantial 'secret' I rather think could be: that Regondi likely had extreme laxity of fingers ( and other joints... since that character usually is general) and very thin fingers as well ....judging from some of the suggested fingerings of his which are not practicable otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Prebble Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 "So that was his secret !"..................Another more substantial 'secret' I rather think could be: that Regondi likely had extreme laxity of fingers ( and other joints... since that character usually is general) and very thin fingers as well .... Or perhaps, in the absence of a computer keyboard, developed his skills by devoting more time to actually playing the instrument ?? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 ...Regondi likely had ... very thin fingers ....judging from some of the suggested fingerings of his which are not practicable otherwise. Are there any known photos of Regondi? It would be interesting to see whether Göran's speculation is correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Read Posted January 16, 2004 Author Share Posted January 16, 2004 Using thumbs on the bowing valves and not using the finger rest would result in using '5 fingers' wouldn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goran rahm Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Or perhaps, in the absence of a computer keyboard, developed his skills by devoting more time to actually playing the instrument ?? Dave Certainly one other reason...otherwise from early years being wipped by some ambitious guardian seems to be the safest way of becoming a 'wonder child'.... Joke aside....Dave, have a go at some of the Regondi fingering advise in case you haven't and you will find evidence of what I mean....:-) some of it IS *impossile* without the requirements I mentioned ...practise does not help.... Goran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Prebble Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Hi Goran, Perhaps you were not whipped enough as a child ? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan atlas Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 PAUL: regondi didn't have bowing valves. . . . .alsepti didn't develop them until after regondi passed away. . . . . .R died in 1872. . . . . . alsepti (and ballinger, his co-purveyor of outright fraud) describe the valves in their patent, No. 8290, , which is dated 8 July 1885. . . . .Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goran rahm Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 . alsepti (and ballinger, his co-purveyor of outright fraud) describe the valves in their patent, No. 8290, , which is dated 8 July 1885. . . . .Allan Let's not get into an arguing battle on this issue...but Allan...can you say if you yourself ....or anyone you know well ....really has tried to evaluate the bowing valves thoroughly in practise?? Goran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan atlas Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Göran: to be quite honest. . . .i do NOT know anyone (least of all myself) who has tried the bowing valves "in the flesh". . . .in part, of course, because i don't know anyone who has played on an instrument outfitted with them. . . . . . needless to say, though, i disagree with the very premiss that led those co-conspirators in fraud to develop them in the first place. . . . . .the bellows on the English concertina are not the same as the bow on a string instrument. . . . . .except in the most minimal sense..................... but let's not open up that pandora's box again. . . . .it leads nowhere..........allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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