Friedrich Sturm (instrument maker)

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Friedrich Sturm was a machine, mill and instrument builder in Suhl .

In Suhl, Friedrich Sturm built the so-called Aelodicon as early as 1827. He himself claimed that it was a stand-alone invention and was developed between 1824 and 1827. However, Friedrich Sturm lists the Handlexicon der Tonkunst by Karl Gollmick from 1867 as an improver of the aelodicon. The aelodicon is also known as the physharmonica . In 1829 Friedrich Sturm founded an Aeolodikon factory with 12 to 16 workers.

One of his instruments (around 1830) is in the depot of the Grassi Museum for Musical Instruments at the University of Leipzig (this instrument comes from the holdings of the Wilhelm Heyer Museum of Music in Cologne).

Two pieces were exhibited at the German Trade Exhibition in Berlin in 1844: One of his instruments and another physharmonica by "Tischler und Instrumentenmacher F. Klein, zu Matscher bei Oppeln" (he called the Physharmonika) at a price of 120 marks.

A description from 1832

The instrument already had six octaves and two registers, as can be read in the Marienwerder official gazette :

“Concerning a newly invented keyboard instrument. A few years ago the mechanic Friedrich Sturm zu Suhl invented a new musical keyboard instrument he called the 'Aeolodicon' and has now perfected it to such an extent that it deserves attention. Several music experts of great repute, notably Herr Spontini, Seidel, Schneider, and Möser in Berlin, and other knowledgeable men, have given this instrument a very favorable judgment, and in particular have said that it is very suitable in smaller churches and prayer houses , like replacing the organ in school rooms. The establishment of the instrument has also been declared promising in the long term. The price of a copy of wood is 50 Rthlr. and the one like that with double voices and worked in metal 150 Rthlr. The instrument has a graceful exterior with a keyboard of around 6 octaves and 2 pedals. The tone is very pleasant and resembles the flute and clarinet in height, more like the horn in the middle, and the contrabassoon in the depth. A nice crescendo and diminuendo of the tones can be brought about by 2 changes and by stronger or weaker pressure of the pedals; nor is it subject to any early disgruntlement; in that everything is made of metal and is very durable. The same is particularly suitable for gentle melodic pieces of music, as well as for chorales. We draw the attention of those public institutions and church commons who need an organ and are not wealthy enough to purchase one to this invention, and recommend that they purchase the instrument. Marienwerder, September 5, 1832. "

The Allgemeine Musikische Zeitung , Volume 35 of May 1833, reports something similar.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Allgemeine Anzeiger und Nationalzeitung der Deutschen , 1827, page 2749 Online
  2. ^ Karl Gollmick: Handlexicon der Tonkunst , 1867, page 5, online
  3. ↑ GSTA Mersburg, Rep. 76 Ve, 9, Abt, 15 c. No. 8
  4. ↑ Volume 6 of the catalog (Karl Marx University Leipzig. Musikinstrumenten-Museum), Volume 6 of the catalog of the Musikinstrumenten-Museum of the Karl Marx University, Karl Marx University Leipzig. Musical Instrument Museum, Klaus Gernhardt, Hubert Henkel, Winfried Schrammek, Dt. Verl. Für Musik, 1983, page 78, “No. 320, p.52 321 Aeolodicon (harmonium) Friedrich Sturm, Suhl, around 1835 1 The signature “Aeolodicon von Friedrich Sturm in Suhl” with a chased inscription on a gilded brass plate in the middle of the attachment board “ Online
  5. ↑ "... the organ builder CG Racknitz zu Stockholm, in 1792 in a mechanical organ" Orchestrion "invented by Abbot Vogler ... is the" Physharmonika "by Anton Haeckl in Vienna (1818) and the" Aeolodicon "by Friedrich Sturm in Suhl (1830) zu ... “, Wilhelm Heyer's Museum of Music History in Cologne: small catalog of the collection of old musical instruments, Georg Kinsky, Wilhelm Heyer, Breitkopf & Härtel, 1913, page 51, online
  6. ^ Official report on the General German Trade Exhibition in Berlin in 1844, Volume 3, K. Reimarus, 1845, page 210, online
  7. ↑ Official Journal for the Marienwerder District, Volume 22, from Marienwerder (Government District), Page 275, Online
  8. ^ General musical newspaper , Volume 35, May 1833, by Friedrich Rochlitz, page 355, online
personal data
SURNAME Sturm, Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German machine builder, mill builder, instrument builder
DATE OF BIRTH before 1827
DATE OF DEATH after 1830