February 6 - Charles Wheatstone (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 6th are here: Natalie Cole; Arthur Gold (2020), Bob Marley; Natalie Cole (2021), and Claudio Arrau (2022)

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Sir Charles Wheatstone (6 February 1802 – 19 October 1875) was an English scientist and inventor whose inventions included the English concertina, the stereoscope, and the famous Playfair cipher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inventions and Sinfonias

The English concertina was initially used for playing classical music, virtuosic solos, and chamber music. By the 1860s-1870s, the English concertina grew more popular in the music hall tradition.  -- Wikipedia, s.v. “English concertina”

Perhaps you’ve never heard or seen a

Solo on the concertina,

A kind of squeezebox or accordion

From times Victorian and Edwardian.

It first was used for Higher Art,

But after that auspicious start

It had an unaesthetic fall

And landed in the music hall.

We do not know if Wheatstone cussed

And saw this upshot with disgust,

Or if he bragged that this employment

Gave the hoi polloi enjoyment,

 

 

 

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