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MMD > Archives > September 2015 > 2015.09.01 > 01Prev  Next


Unusual Melodeon Attributed to Ponti of Vienna
By Christofer Noering

Hello!  The other day, I found a most unusual Melodeon, or reed
barrel organ, having the patent label of Firma Spaethe of Gera, Reuss,
Germany.  (The patent illustration can be viewed in Kevin McElhone's
Organette Book).  But a hand-painted name plate on the front panel
says "PONTI, VIENNA" (Philipp de Ponti was a noted Viennese musical
instrument manufacturer).

To begin with, the instrument apparently had 33 keys and 2 banks of
reeds tuned in unison.  Now it has only 30 keys, that is, 28 reed notes
and two bells.  The plugged-up redundant holes are clearly visible.
The bell keys still open the redundant valves, though.

Later a second bank of reeds, tuned an octave higher, were added.
This bank of reeds has its own valves, hidden from sight in the inside
of the windchest.  The lid of the instrument has its hinges on the
crank side.  Viewed by the organ cranker, the tune card is upside down.
And best of all -- the crank is turned anti-clockwise!

The instrument, which has been in the hands of two if not three
restorers in the past 35 years, can be seen and heard at

  https://youtu.be/_ae-q5nQkBI 

Have fun!

Best regards,
Christofer Noering
Stockholm

 [ Found at http://www.musiklexikon.ac.at/ml/musik_H/Harmonika-Instrumente.xml 
 [
 [ "By 1889 Phillip de Ponti (R. Ponti) offered "ladies' tables" that
 [ were able to play using either a keyboard or with a pinned barrel.
 [ The Melodions or Melodeons mentioned, simple reed crank-organs,
 [ had 5 or 6 tunes on their barrels and were manufactured in Vienna
 [ until the end of the 19th century by Josef Janisch, J. Friemel,
 [ Karl Schidlo, Ph. de Ponti and others."
 [
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Tue 1 Sep 2015, 18:08:09 GMT, from time zone GMT+0200.)

Key Words in Subject:  Attributed, Melodeon, Ponti, Unusual, Vienna

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