The musical saw is
called "Singende Säge" in German and "La scie musicale" or "Lame
sonore" in French. The exact history of its origins still
lies in the dark. Presumable wood-cutters of several
cultures (Scandinavia, South America) discovered the magical
sound of the saw in the early 20th century at the same
time. Fact is, that the "Weaver Brothers" brought the
musical saw into action in a Vaudeville-Show in 1919 and
toured along the USA and Europe with it. Clarence Mussehl
saw that show and listened to it and immediately began to
inqire into the playing of the saw and also to expedite the
development of that instrument. In the twenties a real boom
set in, more than 20.000 musical saws were sold all over the world.
In the meantime there were even saw factories in the USA,
France, Germany and Sweden. While Marlene Dietrich was doing the
movie "Café Electric" in Vienna  in 1927, she learned the playing
of the saw from Igo Sym, a Bavarian actor and musician. To some
extend with this she proceeded on her violin studies which she
had already broken off, and joined the reputation of being the
"First Lady of the musical saw", lasting for decades. While
performing in her shows in world war II, for the support of the
American forces, she always took her saw with her. On the radio
shows of 1944/45 she also amused the listeners with her saw
playing and the comment, that she would love to perform in
Carnegie Hall with the saw once in a lifetime... |
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