Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel
Encyclopedia
Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel (1777– 28th September 1826) was the inventor of the first successful metronome
. He also invented the componium
, an automatic instrument that could make endless variations on a musical theme.
Winkel was born in Lippstadt
,1777, settled in Amsterdam shortly after 1800, and in 1814, while experimenting with pendulums, he discovered that a pendulum weighted on both sides of the pivot
could beat steady time, even for the slow tempos often used in European classical music. Winkel donated the first model of his musical 'cronometer', dated November 27, 1814, to the Hollandsch Instituut van Wetenschappen, Letterkunde en Schoone Kunsten in Amsterdam. Unfortunately he did not appropriately protect his idea, and by 1816, Johann Nepomuk Mälzel added a Scale to the Instrument and patented it as Mälzel Metronome, which remains in use to this day. Thus, even today Mälzel often incorrectly receives credit for what was rightly Winkel's creation. The original model is preserved in a Dutch museum.
"AMSTERDAM. On the 28th September died in this city, M. Winkel, well known for his skill in mechanical science, particularly as applied to music. As a proof of his talents, we need only mention the Componium, or Musical Improvisatore*, which excited great interest amongst connoisseurs, particularly at Paris. Several other specimens of musical mechanism do honour to his talents; but in private life he was modest, and others often obtained credit for inventions which M. Winkel might justly have claimed. The Metronome, usually called Maelzel's, ought to bear the name of Winkel, for the original idea was his; although it is true that Maelzel brought to perfection the instrument which was invented by the Dutch mechanic. —Revue Encyclopidique."
German Text (would need translation) from 1845:
"In Deutschland erwarben sich um diese Erfindung Bürja in Berlin, Weisske in Meissen und hauptsächlich Stockei in Burg 1801 Verdienst.
Des letztem Erfindung verbesserte der berühmte Mechaniker Mälzel in Wien, dessen Ruhm jedoch Winkel in Amsterdam streitig machte,
indem er sich für den Erfinder dieses Instruments, von nun an Mälzel's Metronom genannt, ausgab.
Dieser Metronom besteht aus einem metallenem Pendel, an dem sich ein verschiebbares, mit einer Schraube zum Feststellen versehenes Bleigewicht, der Regulator, befindet. Man hat nun diesen Pendel sowohl einfach freihängend, als auch durch ein Uhrwerk getrieben, in welchem letztern Falle er, wie sich von selbst versteht, bedeutend kostspieliger ist*), und den Zweck aus Gründen, auf die wir später zurükkommen, nicht besser erfüllt als der einfache. Der Pendel selbst ist in Grade getheilt, die die Zahlen von 50—160"
And an other one of 1870 also taking the opinion that not Mälzel had coped the metronome.
Allgemeine Musik- und Harmonielehre, Gottfr. Löhe, 1870, "Er wurde von dem Mechaniker Winkel in Amsterdam erfunden, von dem Hofmaschinisten Mälzel zu Wien, geboren zu Regensburg, der unrechtmäßiger Weise auch die Ehre der Erfindung für sich in Anspruch nahm, verfertigt und in Umlauf gesetzt."Online
Rely very log dicusions can be found in the German musical Letters of this old days.
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
. He also invented the componium
Componium
The componium was a mechanical musical instrument constructed in 1821 by Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel that composed novel music. It was an automatic organ consisting of two barrels that revolve simultaneously. The barrels take turns performing two measures of randomly chosen music while the other pauses...
, an automatic instrument that could make endless variations on a musical theme.
Winkel was born in Lippstadt
Lippstadt
Lippstadt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest town within the district of Soest.-Geography:Lippstadt is situated in the Lippe valley, roughly 70 kilometres east of Dortmund and roughly 30 kilometres west of Paderborn...
,1777, settled in Amsterdam shortly after 1800, and in 1814, while experimenting with pendulums, he discovered that a pendulum weighted on both sides of the pivot
Lever
In physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or pivot point to either multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object or resistance force , or multiply the distance and speed at which the opposite end of the rigid object travels.This leverage...
could beat steady time, even for the slow tempos often used in European classical music. Winkel donated the first model of his musical 'cronometer', dated November 27, 1814, to the Hollandsch Instituut van Wetenschappen, Letterkunde en Schoone Kunsten in Amsterdam. Unfortunately he did not appropriately protect his idea, and by 1816, Johann Nepomuk Mälzel added a Scale to the Instrument and patented it as Mälzel Metronome, which remains in use to this day. Thus, even today Mälzel often incorrectly receives credit for what was rightly Winkel's creation. The original model is preserved in a Dutch museum.
"AMSTERDAM. On the 28th September died in this city, M. Winkel, well known for his skill in mechanical science, particularly as applied to music. As a proof of his talents, we need only mention the Componium, or Musical Improvisatore*, which excited great interest amongst connoisseurs, particularly at Paris. Several other specimens of musical mechanism do honour to his talents; but in private life he was modest, and others often obtained credit for inventions which M. Winkel might justly have claimed. The Metronome, usually called Maelzel's, ought to bear the name of Winkel, for the original idea was his; although it is true that Maelzel brought to perfection the instrument which was invented by the Dutch mechanic. —Revue Encyclopidique."
German Text (would need translation) from 1845:
"In Deutschland erwarben sich um diese Erfindung Bürja in Berlin, Weisske in Meissen und hauptsächlich Stockei in Burg 1801 Verdienst.
Des letztem Erfindung verbesserte der berühmte Mechaniker Mälzel in Wien, dessen Ruhm jedoch Winkel in Amsterdam streitig machte,
indem er sich für den Erfinder dieses Instruments, von nun an Mälzel's Metronom genannt, ausgab.
Dieser Metronom besteht aus einem metallenem Pendel, an dem sich ein verschiebbares, mit einer Schraube zum Feststellen versehenes Bleigewicht, der Regulator, befindet. Man hat nun diesen Pendel sowohl einfach freihängend, als auch durch ein Uhrwerk getrieben, in welchem letztern Falle er, wie sich von selbst versteht, bedeutend kostspieliger ist*), und den Zweck aus Gründen, auf die wir später zurükkommen, nicht besser erfüllt als der einfache. Der Pendel selbst ist in Grade getheilt, die die Zahlen von 50—160"
And an other one of 1870 also taking the opinion that not Mälzel had coped the metronome.
Allgemeine Musik- und Harmonielehre, Gottfr. Löhe, 1870, "Er wurde von dem Mechaniker Winkel in Amsterdam erfunden, von dem Hofmaschinisten Mälzel zu Wien, geboren zu Regensburg, der unrechtmäßiger Weise auch die Ehre der Erfindung für sich in Anspruch nahm, verfertigt und in Umlauf gesetzt."Online
Rely very log dicusions can be found in the German musical Letters of this old days.