The concertina remained popular throughout the 19th century when the Salvation Army in England, Australia, America and New Zealand frequently used it as part of their band’s compositions. Over time, the former went on to be associated with popular dance music like polka and tango while the latter continues to serve as a parlour instrument for classical compositions.ĭuring the 1850’s, the German concertina’s ability to play both accompaniment and melody caused English manufacturers of the instrument to develop a variety of Duet systems.
While German concertinas came to be known as lower-class instruments used mostly by daily-wage workers to perform music on the streets, English concertinas, on the other hand, developed an air of bourgeois respectability with the upper classes enjoying the exact same melodies – only in lavish drawing rooms and fashionable concert halls. With the growing popularity of concertina music, both types continued to evolve into their current form even though the difference in pricing led to a class distinction between the two. History of the Concertina German concertina from around the 19th centuryĭuring the mid-1830s, concertinas were made and sold in England and Germany as two different types specific to each country. 3 List of Notable Concertina Players/Composers.