19th century
In the mid-1830s concertinas were manufactured and sold in Germany and England, in two types specific to the country. Both systems continued to evolve into the current forms as the popularity of the instrument increased. The difference in prices and the common uses of the English and German systems led to something of a class distinction between the two. German or Anglo-German concertinas were regarded as a lower-class instrument, and English concertina had an air of bourgeois respectability. English concertinas were most popular as parlour instruments for classical music, while German concertinas were more associated with popular dance music of the day.
In the 1850s, the Anglo-German concertina’s ability to play both melody and accompaniment led English manufacturers to start developing the various Duet systems. The popular Maccann system were developed towards the end of the century. Meanwhile, German manufacturers were producing concertinas with more than 20 buttons for local sale. Three keyboard systems for German concertinas eventually became popular: Uhlig’s Chemnitzer system, Carl Zimmerman’s Carlsfeld system, and the Bandonion’s Reinische system. Various German manufacturers tried to develop a single unified keyboard system for all German concertinas—but this was only partially accomplished at the end of the 19th century, when the Chemnitzer and Carlsfelder systems merged into the unified concertina system, and a unified bandonion system was created. Despite the new standards, the older systems remained popular into the 20th century.
The concertina was popular throughout the 19th century. The Salvation Army in England, America, Australia, and New Zealand commonly used concertinas in their bands, and other concertina bands and musicians performed in all parts of the English speaking world. German emigrants carried their Chemnizters and bandonions with them to the United States and Argentina where they were regionally popular. In England, America, and Australia the concertina became nearly ubiquitous.
Early 20th century
In the early 20th century, this popularity rapidly began to decline. Reasons included growing relative popularity of the accordion, mass production of other instruments such as the piano, increasingly chromatic and less tonal forms of music such as blues and jazz, and the overall decline of amateur musical performance due to radio and the phonograph. By the middle of the century, few concertina makers remained, and most of those used accordion reeds and inexpensive, unreliable button mechanisms. Yet, the various forms of concertina survived in some areas: Anglo concertinas in Irish traditional music, the English and the Anglo in English Morris dancing, the Anglo in Africa, among Afrikaners (seeBoer music) and Zulus (who call it a “squashbox”), the Chemnitzer in the United States as a polka instrument, and the “bandoneón” in Argentina as a prominent part of the tango tradition. Between World War I and World War II, there were many concertina and bandonion bands in Germany, but with the rise of the Nazi regime these musical clubs disappeared.
Folk Revival and present
Traditional music playing continues in many parts of the UK in the 21st century, often using English and Anglo-system concertinas. Concertinas are mass-produced in Italy and China, and are produced by individual workshops in Europe, South Africa, Australia, and North America. Modern-made instruments are in a spectrum of quality and traditionalism, with the most expensive instruments using traditional concertina-type reeds, while mid-level and inexpensive instruments take advantage of the lower price of mass-produced