Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau
Encyclopedia
The Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau ("ZfI") was a German-language journal
dealing in large part with the manufacture of musical instrument
s. It was published in Leipzig
from 1880 through 1943 and serves as a chronicler of the musical world and as an intelligent reporter on some of the more technical aspects of instrument development.
cellist
and viol
player whose instrument collecting activities eventually formed the basis for the Heyer Collection in Cologne
and the Royal Collection in Berlin
.
The outlook of the journal, though centered in Leipzig
, was never limited to the Germanic world
; rather, there was a determined effort to report musical news from all over the world, from Melbourne
to Buenos Aires
, from Lisbon
to Moscow
. There is particularly good coverage of those countries to which German instruments were exported. Consequently, one finds a great deal of interest in American musical life and the American music
trade.
Throughout its history, the format of the ZfI changed but little, nor did the subject matter. The journal existed expressly for the music trade, that is, for instrument builders, purveyors of music-related products of all sorts, music professionals (e.g., piano tuners, instrument dealers). The ZfI regularly reported on musical instrument exhibits in the major metropolitan centers of Europe and the world.
Reports about new inventions and discoveries enliven the pages; newly registered patent
s for inventions, often illustrated by very clear line drawings, are a standard feature. Through the pages of the ZfI one can follow the development and evolution of many musical instruments (particularly the piano
and violin
). A lot of attention is given to the Jankó keyboard
, for example. One sees changes wrought by the introduction, first of gas
, then of electricity
to the musical world.
The journal typically begins with an essay
, usually original, but sometimes a translation from English (Edward Heron-Allen
) or French (Antoine Vidal). As each issue of the ZfI was relatively short, these essays were often spread over two numbers. A great deal of attention is given to sales of instruments (new and antique), auctions, and instrument repairs.
Organ building, a major musical industry, always received broad coverage. Important new organs from many countries are discussed at some length with the dispositions given completely and organ prospects neatly illustrated, enabling one to trace the succession of styles and tastes.
A section of miscellany kept the reader abreast of important personalities in the world of musical instrument building. Performances, too, were listed and sometimes criticized, but the comments are perhaps more useful for the technical details of the instruments used than for details of the performances. In the pages of ZfI one can trace the development of standard pitch in the various countries of Europe and its significance for various aspects of musical activity.
The journal is quite useful from a music-sociological point of view. Through it one can gain a better understanding of the music trade, its attitudes towards unionization, the improvement of the workplace, management styles
and concerns, the division of labor (is piano tuning
a proper occupation for women?). The advertisements too furnish a wealth of sociological information.
Even folk instrument
s such as the zither
and the ocarina
find their place in the ZfI. Imports of ethnic instruments from Asia and the Pacific are frequently reported, probably due to Paul de Wit's interest in rare and exotic instruments
. It was his influence as well that led to the frequent reporting on historical instruments of every type.
The Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau is a useful source for any development in the musical world of the period before the World War I
. It is reliable as a source, given that its pro-industry biases are clearly stated.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
dealing in large part with the manufacture of musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s. It was published in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
from 1880 through 1943 and serves as a chronicler of the musical world and as an intelligent reporter on some of the more technical aspects of instrument development.
History
The founder and guiding light of this journal was Paul de Wit, a DutchDutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and viol
Viol
The viol is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed musical instruments developed in the mid-late 15th century and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The family is related to and descends primarily from the Renaissance vihuela, a plucked instrument that preceded the...
player whose instrument collecting activities eventually formed the basis for the Heyer Collection in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and the Royal Collection in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
The outlook of the journal, though centered in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, was never limited to the Germanic world
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
; rather, there was a determined effort to report musical news from all over the world, from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, from Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. There is particularly good coverage of those countries to which German instruments were exported. Consequently, one finds a great deal of interest in American musical life and the American music
Music of the United States
The music of the United States reflects the country's multi-ethnic population through a diverse array of styles. Among the country's most internationally-renowned genres are hip hop, blues, country, rhythm and blues, jazz, barbershop, pop, techno, and rock and roll. The United States has the...
trade.
Throughout its history, the format of the ZfI changed but little, nor did the subject matter. The journal existed expressly for the music trade, that is, for instrument builders, purveyors of music-related products of all sorts, music professionals (e.g., piano tuners, instrument dealers). The ZfI regularly reported on musical instrument exhibits in the major metropolitan centers of Europe and the world.
Reports about new inventions and discoveries enliven the pages; newly registered patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s for inventions, often illustrated by very clear line drawings, are a standard feature. Through the pages of the ZfI one can follow the development and evolution of many musical instruments (particularly the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
). A lot of attention is given to the Jankó keyboard
Janko keyboard
The Jankó keyboard is a musical keyboard layout for a piano designed by Paul von Jankó in 1882.Based on the premise that the hand can barely stretch more than a 9th on the piano, and that all scales are fingered differently, Jankó's new keyboard had two interlocking 'manuals' with three...
, for example. One sees changes wrought by the introduction, first of gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
, then of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
to the musical world.
The journal typically begins with an essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
, usually original, but sometimes a translation from English (Edward Heron-Allen
Edward Heron-Allen
Edward Heron-Allen was an English polymath, writer, scientist and Persian scholar who translated the works of Omar Khayyam.-Life:...
) or French (Antoine Vidal). As each issue of the ZfI was relatively short, these essays were often spread over two numbers. A great deal of attention is given to sales of instruments (new and antique), auctions, and instrument repairs.
Organ building, a major musical industry, always received broad coverage. Important new organs from many countries are discussed at some length with the dispositions given completely and organ prospects neatly illustrated, enabling one to trace the succession of styles and tastes.
A section of miscellany kept the reader abreast of important personalities in the world of musical instrument building. Performances, too, were listed and sometimes criticized, but the comments are perhaps more useful for the technical details of the instruments used than for details of the performances. In the pages of ZfI one can trace the development of standard pitch in the various countries of Europe and its significance for various aspects of musical activity.
The journal is quite useful from a music-sociological point of view. Through it one can gain a better understanding of the music trade, its attitudes towards unionization, the improvement of the workplace, management styles
Management styles
Management styles are characteristic ways of making decisions and relating to subordinates.This idea was further developed by Robert Tannenbaum and Warren H...
and concerns, the division of labor (is piano tuning
Piano tuning
Piano tuning is the act of making minute adjustments to the tensions of the strings of a piano to properly align the intervals between their tones so that the instrument is in tune. The meaning of the term in tune in the context of piano tuning is not simply a particular fixed set of pitches...
a proper occupation for women?). The advertisements too furnish a wealth of sociological information.
Even folk instrument
Folk instrument
A folk instrument is an instrument that developed among common people and usually doesn't have a known inventor. It can be made from wood, metal or other material. It is a part of folk music...
s such as the zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
and the ocarina
Ocarina
The ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument. Variations do exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body...
find their place in the ZfI. Imports of ethnic instruments from Asia and the Pacific are frequently reported, probably due to Paul de Wit's interest in rare and exotic instruments
Exotic option
In finance, an exotic option is a derivative which has features making it more complex than commonly traded products . These products are usually traded over-the-counter , or are embedded in structured notes....
. It was his influence as well that led to the frequent reporting on historical instruments of every type.
The Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau is a useful source for any development in the musical world of the period before the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It is reliable as a source, given that its pro-industry biases are clearly stated.