The bandoneon (or bandonion, es, bandoneón) is a type of

concertina A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front. The ...

particularly popular in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

. It is a typical instrument in most

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

ensembles. As with other members of the concertina family, the bandoneon is held between the hands, and by pulling and pushing actions force air through

bellows A bellows or pair of bellows is a device constructed to furnish a strong blast of air. The simplest type consists of a flexible bag comprising a pair of rigid boards with handles joined by flexible leather sides enclosing an approximately airtigh ...

and then routing air through particular reeds as by pressing the instrument's buttons. Bandoneons have a different sound from

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

s, because bandoneons do not usually have the register switches that are common on accordions. Nevertheless, the tone of the bandoneon can be changed a great deal using varied bellows pressure and overblowing, thus creating potential for expressive playing and diverse timbres.

History

The Bandonion, so named by the German instrument dealer

Heinrich Band Heinrich Band (1821 – 1860) was the inventor of the bandoneón; this 'hand-organ-like' instrument is a reed instrument in the concertina A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It c ...

(1821–1860), was originally intended as an instrument for

religious Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...

and

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

of the day, in contrast to its predecessor, German concertina (), which had predominantly been used in

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

. Around 1870, German and Italian emigrants and sailors brought the instrument to Argentina, where it was adopted into the nascent genre of tango music, a descendant of the earlier milonga. By 1910 bandoneons were being produced in Germany expressly for the Argentine and Uruguayan markets, with 25,000 shipping to Argentina in 1930 alone. However, declining popularity and the disruption of German manufacturing in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

led to an end of bandoneon mass-production. Original instruments can be seen in a number of German museums, such as the Preuss family's Bandoneon Museum in

Lichtenberg Lichtenberg () is the eleventh borough of Berlin, Germany. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it absorbed the former borough of Hohenschönhausen. Overview The district contains the Tierpark Berlin in Friedrichsfelde, the larger of Berlin ...

and the Steinhart family's collection in Kirchzarten,

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

, which has now been moved to the Tango- and Bandoneon museum in Staufen since July 2014. Historically, bandoneons were produced primarily in Germany and never in Argentina itself, despite their popularity in that country. As a result, by the 2000s vintage bandoneons had become rare and expensive (costing around $4,000), limiting the opportunities for prospective bandeonists. In 2014, the

National University of Lanús The National University of Lanús ( es, Universidad Nacional de Lanús, UNLA) is an Argentina, Argentine national university, located in Remedios de Escalada, Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province. It was created on June 7, 1995 by national law . ...

announced its plan to develop an affordable Argentine-made bandoneon, which it hoped to market for one-third to one-half of the cost of vintage instruments.

Technique

As with other members of the concertina family, the bandoneon is held between the hands, and pulling and pushing actions force air through bellows and then through particular reeds as selected by pressing the instrument's buttons. As with other concertinas, the button action is parallel to the motion of the bellows, and not perpendicular to it as with an accordion. Unlike what happens with a piano accordion, but in similar fashion to a

melodeon Melodeon may refer to: * Melodeon (accordion), a type of button accordion *Melodeon (organ), a type of 19th-century reed organ *Melodeon (Boston, Massachusetts), a concert hall in 19th-century Boston * Melodeon Records, a U.S. record label in the ...

Anglo concertina The Anglo or Anglo-German concertina is a member of the concertina family of free-reed instruments. History The Anglo originated as a hybrid between the English and German concertinas. The button layouts are generally the same as the original 2 ...

, a given bandoneon button produces different notes on the push and the pull ( bisonoric). This means that each keyboard actually has two layouts: one for opening notes, and one for closing notes. Since the right and left hand layouts are also different, a musician must learn four different keyboard layouts to play the instrument. These keyboard layouts are not structured to make it easy to play scale passages of single notes: they were originally laid out to facilitate playing chords, for supporting singers of religious music in small churches with no organ or

harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

, or for clergy requiring a portable instrument (missionaries, traveling evangelists, army and navy chaplains, and so forth).

Unisonoric

While the standard bandoneon is bisonoric (different note on push and pull), some bandoneon variants are monosonoric, or unisonoric (same note on push and pull). These include the Ernst Kusserow and Charles Peguri systems, both introduced around 1925.

Players

The Argentinian bandleader, composer, arranger, and tango performer

Aníbal Troilo Aníbal Carmelo Troilo (11 July 1914 – 18 May 1975), also known as Pichuco, was an Argentine tango musician. Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, arranger, and bandleader in Argentina. His orquesta típica was among the most popular with ...

was a leading 20th-century proponent of the bandoneon. The bandoneon player and composer

Ástor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed ''nuevo tango'', incorporating elements from ...

played and arranged in Troilo's orquesta from 1939 to 1944. Piazzolla's ''"Fugata"'' from 1969 showcases the instrument, which plays the initial fugue subject on the 1st statement, then moves on to the outright tango after the introduction. With his solos and accompaniment on the bandoneon, Piazzolla combined a musical composition much derived from classical music (which he had studied intensively in his formative years) with traditional instrumental

, to form ''

nuevo tango Nuevo tango is both a form of music in which new elements are incorporated into traditional tango music, and an evolution of tango dance that began to develop in the 1980s. Dance Origins Prior to the 1990s, Argentine tango was taught with a didact ...

'', his new interpretation of the genre.

List of manufacturers

A list of some current and historical bandoneon manufacturers: * Asociación Argentina de Luthiers * Baldoni Accordions (USA) * Bandoneón AZ - Ángel y Gabriel Zullo (Argentina) * Bandoneones A. A. Alfred Arnold (Germany, until 1948) * Bandoneones F. F. - Juan Pablo Fredes (Gambier, La Plata, Argentina) * Bandoneones Baltazar Estol (Argentina) * Bandoneones Toscano (Mendoza, Argentina), Vicente Toscano, fabricante y restaurador de bandoneones. * Bandonion & Concertinafabrik Klingenthal (Germany) * Mario Bianco (Uruguay) * Castagnari (Italy) * Danielson Industria de Acordeões e Bandoneões (Brazil) * D. & J. Trupin SARL (France) * Enrique Fasuolo (Argentina) * Oscar Fisher (Argentina) * Giustozzi (Italy) *Handzuginstrumente Carlsfeld (Eibenstock, Germany) * Klaus Gutjahr (Germany) * Harry Geuns Bandoneons (Belgium) * Uwe Hartenhauer (Klingenthal, Germany) * Ricardo Matteo (Uruguay) * Museo Luis Alfredo Mariani (La Reja, Moreno, Argentina) * Pigini Fratelli & C. snc (Italy) * Premier Bandoneonbau Peter Spende (Germany) * Stagi Accordions & Bandoneons (Italy) * Tangobrujo Venta & Restauraciones - Daniel Barrientos (Argentina) * Victoria Accordions Company (Italy)

Prominent players

Vicente Greco Vicente Greco (February 3, 1888 – October 5, 1924) was an Argentinian composer, conductor, and bandoneon player of tango music. He had a significant role in the spread of tango music from the suburbs into the cities, where it became very popular ...

(1888-1924) *

Augusto Berto Augusto Pedro Berto (Bahía Blanca, 4 February 1889 – 29 April 1953) was an Argentine composer and bandoneón player who was the first composer to spread popular Argentine music in Europe. He is best known for his tango compositions. Works La p ...

(1889-1953) *

Eduardo Arolas Eduardo Arolas (February 24, 1892 – September 29, 1924) was an Argentine tango bandoneon player, leader and composer. Arolas first learned to play the guitar before learning the bandoneon which became his instrument of choice. His nickname w ...

(1892-1924) *

Anselmo Aieta Anselmo Alfredo Aieta (November 5, 1896 – September 25, 1964) was an Argentine bandoneon musician, composer and occasional actor. Alfredo De Angelis Alfredo De Angelis (2 November 1910, Adrogué — 31 March 1992) was an Argentinian musi ...

(1896-1964) *

Osvaldo Fresedo Osvaldo Fresedo (May 5, 1897 - November 18, 1984), nicknamed ''El pibe de La Paternal'' ("the kid from La Paternal") was an Argentine songwriter and director of a tango orchestra. He had one of the longest recording careers in tango history, fro ...

(1897-1984) *

Pedro Maffia Pedro Mario Maffia (August 28, 1899 – October 16, 1967) was an Argentine tango bandoneonist, bandleader, composer and teacher, as well as starring in several tango films. Maffia had a hard upbringing; he was beaten with a chain by his fat ...

(1899–1967) *

Pedro Laurenz Pedro Laurenz (born Pedro Blanco Acosta) was a bandoneon player, director and composer of Argentine tango music. He was born on October 10, 1902, and died on July 7, 1972. Pedro was born into a musical family in the La Boca neighbourhood of B ...

(1902–1972) *

Ricardo Malerba Ricardo Francisco Malerba (24 August 1905 - 29 June 1974) (nickname: Luz Demar) was a bandoneon player, composer and bandleader (Tango music, tango Music genre, musical genre) in Argentina during the golden age of Argentine tango, tango. Among outs ...

(1905-1974) *

Miguel Caló Miguel Caló (October 28, 1907 – May 24, 1972) was a famous tango bandoneonist, composer, and the leader of the ''Orchestra Miguel Caló''. He was born in Balvanera, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Early years Born in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of ...

(1907-1972) *

(1914–1975) * Hector Varela (1914-1987) *

Juan Cambareri Juan Cambareri (15 April 1916 - 18 February 1992) (nickname: El Mago del Bandoneón) was an Argentinian bandoneon player, composer and bandleader (Tango music, tango Music genre, musical genre) during the Golden Age of Argentine tango, tango. Refer ...

(1916-1992) *

Domingo Federico Domingo Serafín Federico (4 June 1916, in Buenos Aires – 16 April 2000) was an Argentine bandoneon The bandoneon (or bandonion, es, bandoneón) is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a typical inst ...

(1916-2000) * Alberto Caracciolo (1918-1994) *

Enrique Alessio Enrique Carmelo Alessio (January 8, 1918 – September 8, 2000) was an Argentine musician. He is famed for his bandoneón accordion skills. Alessio was also a composer and orchestra leader The concertmaster (from the German ''Konzertmeist ...

(1918-2000) *

Astor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed ''nuevo tango'', incorporating elements from ...

(1921–1992) *

Leopoldo Federico Leopoldo Federico (12 January 1927 – 28 December 2014) was an Argentine bandoneon player, arranger, director and composer. Life Born in the district of Once in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Federico was one of the most outstanding band ...

(1927-2014) *

Juan José Mosalini Juan José Mosalini (29 November 1943 – 27 May 2022)Murió e ...

(1943-2022) *

Rubén Juárez Rubén Juárez (5 November 1947 – 31 May 2010) was an Argentine bandoneón, bandoneonist and singer-songwriter of Tango (dance), tango. Juárez studied the bandoneón from the age of six. In 1956, he entered the Youth Orchestra of Club Atlético ...

(1947-2010) *

Claudio Constantini Claudio Constantini is a multiinstrumentalist (pianist, bandoneonist) and composer born in Peru and currently living in Spain. Known for his eclectic nature, he feels at home in a variety of musical genres. He has garnered one of the widest fol ...

Héctor del Curto Héctor del Curto is an Argentine tango bandoneon player. Born in Buenos Aires, he began to study tango music at a young age, winning the Best Bandoneon under 25 when only 17 years old. Following that honour, he played with the late tango giants ...

Per Arne Glorvigen Per Arne Glorvigen (born 2 June 1963, in Drammen) is a Norwegian musician and composer, particularly known as a bandoneon and tango player. He is mentioned as one of the world's leading contemporary bandoneon players and "wizard of the buttons" ( ...

Gianni Iorio Gianni Iorio (born March 9, 1972), is an Italian bandoneón The bandoneon (or bandonion, es, bandoneón) is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a typical instrument in most tango ensembles. As wi ...

Ryōta Komatsu (born October 30, 1973) is a Japanese bandoneón player. He has cooperated with Japanese violinist Taro Hakase in his own album ''La Trampera'' (2001), and with Bajofondo Bajofondo is a Río de la Plata-based music band consisting of eight mus ...

Rodolfo Mederos Rodolfo Mederos (born March 25, 1940) is an Argentine bandoneonist, composer and arranger. He lived in Cuba and France; in Argentina, he founded the experimental group Generación Cero. Early life Mederos was born in the Constitución neig ...

Gabriel Merlino Gabriel Merlino (born 1977) is one of the most important bandoneon players from the new generation. From 8 years old he started with bandoneon studies. His professors were Alejandro Barletta, the biggest bandoneon classical concertist in history, a ...

Dino Saluzzi Timoteo "Dino" Saluzzi (born 20 May 1935) is an Argentinian bandoneon player. He is the son of Cayetano Saluzzi and the father of guitarist José Maria Saluzzi. Early life, family and education Timoteo "Dino" Saluzzi was born in Campo Santo, ...

Construction

Exterior: Bandoneon_Alfred_Arnold_right_hand.jpg, Alfred Arnold bandoneon. Right Bandoneon_Alfred_Arnold_center.jpg, Center Bandoneon Alfred Arnold left hand.jpg, Left. Note that each button has its number or symbol A look inside a bandoneon: File:BandoneonApart1.jpg File:BandoneonApart2.jpg File:BandoneonApart3.jpg File:BandoneonApart4.jpg File:BandoneonApart5.jpg

Bandoneon-like instruments

Although these

squeezebox The term squeezebox (also squeeze box, squeeze-box) is a colloquial expression referring to any musical instrument of the general class of hand-held bellows-driven free reed aerophones such as the accordion and the concertina. The term is so a ...

es resemble in appearance, they are not bandoneons. *

Chemnitzer concertina A Chemnitzer concertina is a musical instrument of the hand-held bellows-driven free-reed category, sometimes called ''squeezeboxes''. The Chemnitzer concertina is most closely related to the bandoneón (German spelling: ''Bandonion''), more ...

File:Chemnitzer concertina Pearl Queen right hand.jpg, Chemnitzer concertina made in 1926 File:Chemnitzer Concertina Star Old Timer.jpg, Chemnitzer concertina made in 2000 *Chromatiphon File:Chromatiphone collection of Mr.FUJIWARA Seiya 01.jpg File:Chromatiphone collection of Mr.FUJIWARA Seiya 02.jpg File:Chromatiphone collection of Mr.FUJIWARA Seiya 03.jpg *BandoMIneDonI File:BandoMIneDonI.jpg

References

External links

Proyecto Bandomecum
Bandoneon's Portal Page
Christian's Bandoneon Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bandoneon Argentine musical instruments Concertina German inventions Tango