The Accordion in the 19th Century - Gorka Hermosa

The disposition of that unisonoric chromatic keyboard has been another cause of
disagreement among accordionists: there are
a large number of different keyboards. Some
sources such as Monichon [170, 202] maintain
that the current system is based on the
keyboard that Paul von Janko (1865-1919)
introduced for the piano in 1882. In addition
to being a somewhat late invention, as the
photograph shows, that system is very
similar not to the current system, but to the
uniform keyboard patented by John Reuter in Fig. 63: Piano with keyboard
1940 in New York. [406] by Von Janko (Hungary, 1882) 112 .
II.2.7- Standard bass accordion
Along the 19 th c., the left keyboard kept gaining complexity. The concept of
basses and chords was maintained, but did not standardize a particular display of the
keyboard until the manual with standard basses appeared (MII). Nevertheless, there is
no common understanding concerning its invention: was it in 1880 by Tessio Jovani in
Stradella 113 [72, 197], or in 1885 by Beraldi 114 [202]...?
Fig. 64: Jovani Fig. 65: Germany Fig. 66: Dallapé
(Italy, 1880) 115 . (1884) 116 . (Italy, 1898) 117 .
II.2.8- Free bass accordion
Not only were there accordions with basses and chords on the left manual, but
there were numerous attempts to get individual notes on that manual. In this case there
is no assent either on who the pioneer was: was it Shpanovsky 118 from Ukraine (1888)
[197], Spadaro from Italy (1890) [49], Dallapé 119 (1890) from Stradella [253], Bauer 120
112
Fig. taken from: http://sequence15.blogspot.com/2010/03/alternative-keyboards.html
113
According to Doktorski [72], it had 64 buttons on the left manual and Dallapé built a model with 112 buttons in 1890.
114
There is no unanimity about this date: around 1885 according to Monichon [202], around 1875 according to Macerollo [178],
“around those dates” Buggiolachi [49], later dates than 1872 [197]... There are some references to standard bass accordions such as
the one that Tessio Jovani built for Stradella with 64 buttons on the left manual (that Mirek refers), or the chromatic accordion from
1885 in the Brazilian web page of the Museo Valerio, or the accordion that Dallapé built in 1890 (similar to Jovani’s, but improved
and with more buttons on the left) and that, in its time, was considered the best accordion ever built, up to that date. [171, 197, 202]
115
Fig. taken from: Mirek [197] page 18.
116
Fig. taken from: Maurer [187] page 94.
117
Fig. taken from: Buggiolachi [51] page 41.
118
A peculiar prototype that did not succeed, but which, respecting its conception, can be denominated free bass. It was the one that
in 1888 L.P. Shpanovsky (state school inspector in the Russian province of Kherson and stayed in Odessa) asked I.F. Blagin and
E.V. Nikolaev to build; he wanted a chromatic accordion with piano keys on both keyboards (which they called meloharmonica)
with bellows straps for both hands. It was created to accompany school choirs and it was displayed in numerous exhibitions in
Chicago, Paris and Antwerp. Similar accordions (but without bellows strap on the right) were built in 1931 in France (by Piermaria
Nazzareno, who called it pianolaccordeón) and in Italy (made by Soprani-Lüttbeg) [197].
119
According to Doktorski [72], the deluxe model made by Mariano Dallapé and the Stradella company (Italy) had a right manual
with keys for 3 octaves and 112 buttons on the left manual. According to Bugiolachi [50], Dallapé patented an accordion
denominated bassi sciolti in 1890.
120
1897 According to Hrustanbegovic. [126]
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