Schalmei-(shall-my)(1)
By Rebecca Apodaca
I stated I would be giving you the results of the Bigsby guitar appraisal, but more research was needed and it will come out in the March issue.
When music conductor Dr. Bill Nicholls purchased these four horns from a frame shop in Costa Mesa, Calif., he was told they were bought outside of Paris and were used by clowns.(2) This was the only information that was given to me. Dr. Nicholls requested that I find out their name, history and what type of music was performed on them. He wanted us to make them playable and to write fingering charts, so they could be performed at symphonic and orchestral concerts. I spent eight months researching, restoring, appraising and writing fingering charts for these instruments.
I found not one name but, in fact, more than 10: Schalmei, Martinshorn, Signal Horn, Shawm, Trumpetine, MARTINHORN, Martinschalme, Martin’s Trumpet, Martinstrompettes and Trompettes klaxons.
I dated these particular horns to the 1930s and found they were manufactured in Germany. Some models had less than 1,000 produced. Most trumpets take a skill of “buzzing” or vibrating the lips together, producing tone. Tightening and loosening the lips can vary this tone. The Schalmei take no skill and are easier to blow than blowing up a balloon. The small ends of the bells taper to a metal vibrating reed. Each bell has its own chamber. Each bell can only produce one note. The sound is similar to a very loud old car horn. The helicon (sousaphone- like) Contra-Bass Schalmei(3) has four bells, two valves and produces four tones, which correspond to the first four notes of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” The seven- and eight-belled horns play a full scale. In 1880, Max B. Martin invented the multi-belled, trumpet-like instrument in Germany. Martin decided their best usage would be with military bands. Martin’s hope was to sell the horns for military use, and presented the Schalmei to Kaiser Wilhelm II.(4) The Kaiser recognized it was a unique sound and kept the prototype to have his driver announce him when he arrived in a town. The Kaiser did not purchase the unusual horns for the military, as Martin hoped. Eventually, the police recognized the unusual sound and had Martin start making a version for them.(5)
Fasnacht
This novel instrument initially caught on around World War I on the French border. Roving Schalmei bands made up of unemployed war veterans in the 1920s accompanied their socialist songs with instruments of different sizes. Fasnacht is the day before Lent starts. It is celebrated throughout
Europe.(6) Fasnacht is equivalent to America’s Mardi gras. In small villages, the gypsies would dress up in colorful outfits, painting their faces and making fun of the hierarchy. They look similar to clowns. They paraded through the streets playing these horns and other unusual looking musical instruments.
Nazi youth
In the 1930s, the Nazi youth became interested in these horns. Since the horns were so loud and easily played, the Nazis would use them for rallies in small towns to gather people around. Once they assembled a group of interested listeners, the Nazi propaganda was spread.(7) Gypsies were of mixed blood, which also was not in Hitler’s plan for racial purity. Hitler decided these were Marxian (communist) instruments and banned the horns. This musical instrument actually plays a part in the history of the DRGM, Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster (German Reich Registered Design). Schalmei bands were formed in factories, communities, schools and paramilitary garrisons, and they also competed.(8) The contemporary heartland for the Schalmei is the region of former East Germany called “Vogtland,” where the Schalmei tradition is still very much alive in smaller towns. You can hear them performed on this YouTube video Vollmershainer Schalmeien 2005 – The Lion Sleeps Tonight(9).
The Martin factory was closed and moved to Phillipsberg by the German Democratic Republic (GDR: the communist state established in 1949) where it reopened as a car horn company and is still in existence today. At Voigt-Brass Manufacturing, you can see even more examples of the Schalmei by visiting their Web site at www.voigt-brass.de.
Final Outcome
We were able to make all 23 bells of the four horns playable, except for one note. They are tuned to “A” 436Hz. Since these were not precision-made instruments, the pitch does vary.
Traditional marches and socialist music was performed on these horns. If you recall any movie you have seen that was based in Europe, you have heard their “tü-ta tü-ta” sound still used as a two-note horn on police cars and Europe. Max Martin will always be remembered for that sound. Even though you did not recognize what these instruments were, most of you would recognize that sound they make. The Replacement Value collectively was more than $9,000.
The four horns are tuned:
Alto: e above middle C- e’, f’,g’, a’, b’, c’, d’, e’’ .
Baritone: g below middle C- g,a, b, c’, d’, e’, f’, g’.
Bass: g below middle C – g, b,c’, d’.
Contra Bass Helicon: G,
2 octaves below middle C – G, B,c, d.
1 www.dolmetsch.com/defss1.htm
2 Omar’s Custom Frames/Peter’s Gallery, Costa Mesa, Calif.
3 Voght Manufacturing, Germany
4 White Hall Museum
5 www.springersmusic.co.uk/Library/Museum.htm
6 Wikipedia
7 Kim Christensen’s Musikmuseum
8 The Wende Museum