8/78 Langdorff & Fils Cartel - Serial No. 20483 - 1882
A lovely box containing a rather nice movement by a known maker.
The tune sheet is written in Romanian, which is extremely unusual. All bar one tune are from that country except one. (see below)
This music box is unique and would have been made to order.
The tune sheet is written in Romanian, which is extremely unusual. All bar one tune are from that country except one. (see below)
This music box is unique and would have been made to order.
The lid showing the intricate cartouche that is a later addition
The mechanism has been fully restored including fitting a new mainspring, new stop lever, cylinder re-pinning, governor rebuild, comb tuned and dampers repaired.
The The Music Box Restorer tells me that there are twice as many sharp and flat notes on this comb than normal, making the mechanism even more special.
Retired musicologist and fellow collector, Thomas J. Mathiesen (see below) says: The large number of "sharps and flats" is necessary because the music of the region does not use a western scale of twelve equal semitones in the octave. It uses an anhemitonic pentatonic scale (i.e., a scale with only five tones and no semitones) and a so-called "uncertain mode," in which the third, fourth, and seventh steps can be in "natural position" or a quarter-tone or semitone sharper. Thus, to produce this variety on a comb, each octave would need 14 pitches.
The case will be re polished shortly and the photos updated.
The The Music Box Restorer tells me that there are twice as many sharp and flat notes on this comb than normal, making the mechanism even more special.
Retired musicologist and fellow collector, Thomas J. Mathiesen (see below) says: The large number of "sharps and flats" is necessary because the music of the region does not use a western scale of twelve equal semitones in the octave. It uses an anhemitonic pentatonic scale (i.e., a scale with only five tones and no semitones) and a so-called "uncertain mode," in which the third, fourth, and seventh steps can be in "natural position" or a quarter-tone or semitone sharper. Thus, to produce this variety on a comb, each octave would need 14 pitches.
The case will be re polished shortly and the photos updated.
Visit the Workshop page for this box
Tunes
Researching the tunes has been quite difficult. I am indebted to Tom Mathiesen for his meticulous research and advice in the interpretation of the tune sheet and for providing much of the following narrative.
The word Hora in this context is an ancient Romanian and Israeli term for "A circular folk dance". The plural is hore.
The tune titles beginning with Hora may in fact be descriptions of the place or region with which the hora is associated. The music for all five of these tunes are traditional folk melodies. The most important features are the rhythm and form, since these affect the dance steps. Early ethnomusicologists collected these tunes by going out into the villages and recording them (usually with wire or wax cylinders). Laterly, two of the most famous 'collectors' were the Hungarian composers Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók, who used some of these tunes as the basis for their own compositions.
Researching the tunes has been quite difficult. I am indebted to Tom Mathiesen for his meticulous research and advice in the interpretation of the tune sheet and for providing much of the following narrative.
The word Hora in this context is an ancient Romanian and Israeli term for "A circular folk dance". The plural is hore.
The tune titles beginning with Hora may in fact be descriptions of the place or region with which the hora is associated. The music for all five of these tunes are traditional folk melodies. The most important features are the rhythm and form, since these affect the dance steps. Early ethnomusicologists collected these tunes by going out into the villages and recording them (usually with wire or wax cylinders). Laterly, two of the most famous 'collectors' were the Hungarian composers Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók, who used some of these tunes as the basis for their own compositions.
|
|
1. Hora Frumusica
Frumişica is the name of one of the communes in Romania |
|
|
2. Hora Sirba
Sirba is Romanian for Serbia |
|
|
3. Crecerea Duneri Marsu (Crossing The Danube March). The calligrapher may not have fully understood the title.
The correct spelling should be Crecerea Dunařii Marşu |
|
|
4. Romanul Dantu Nationale (Romanian National Dance).
Again the calligrapher has not got this quite right. It should be Romanul Danțu Național (Danțu being Serbian for dance) |
|
|
5. Hora Plovni
Plovni is Croatian for dredgers or sailing vessels. A circular hora might suggest some sort of flowing or sailing image. |
|
|
6. Marien Valse (Mary's Waltz - possibly Austrian)
There are numerous waltzes with this title, including ones by Josef Bayer, J. Ohys, J. Gungl, and Johann Strauss Sr. This tune does not match the composition by Strauss Sr., and scores or recordings of the versions by Bayer, Ohys, and Gungl have not been located. |
|
|
7. Nu Mai Sint Ce Am Fost Odata (I am not what I once was)
Another calligraphy error. This should read Nu mai sunt ce-am fost odatǎ |
|
|
8. Hora Vlasceanka
Spelt this way, the only reference that can be found points to this being Czech for 'a native', so maybe a native dance. |