The Wheatstone English concertina in Victorian England

by Allan W. Atlas

The Wheatstone English concertina was enormously popular in Victorian England. Developed around 1830 by the physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone, the instrument quickly found a home on the leading concert stages and in upper-class salons. It attracted such composers as Macfarren, Benedict, Barnett, and Molique, who supplied its repertory with concertos, sonatas, character pieces, and chamber works. Its two great virtuosos, Giulio Regondi and Richard Blagrove, drew the plaudits of audiences and critics alike. This is the first comprehensive book about the instrument, its music, performers, audiences, and reception. It includes an appendix containing an edition of five pieces for the instrument.