Musical instruments have been manufactured in and around Markneukirchen for more than 300 years now. MIGMA eG Markneukirchen is an association of master craftsmen who maintain and continue the best traditions of German musical instrument making.
The Horn that I play is a beautiful hand-made German 'Migma' Gold-Brass, 5 valve Compensator in F/Bb/A+ by Fritz Petzold. I purchased the instrument from Tony Halstead in March 2009.
Tony told me; ''The Horn was originally bought brand new in 1951 by its only owner, Jack Deas, who was a busy freelance player in Scotland for many years. He chose it for its tone quality, reminding him of the 'real French Horn' as used by both Aubrey and Dennis Brain.''
Tony added, ''It has been played in the Scottish National Orchestra (now RSNO) the BBC Scottish Symphony, the former BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra (now sadly defunct), Scottish Opera Orchestra, and the Edinburgh 'Reid Orchestra' along with many others.''
Here is some information about Fritz Petzold that I received from Peter Damm:
''The name of the instrument maker Petzold was new to me; I had not heard it before. This is because I got to know Markneukirchen and its horn makers at a much later time. I only met Herbert Fritz Knopf and his son Johannes once; his firm is continued today by Christian Knopf. I received my first Markneukirchen horn, from Master Walter Mönnig, around 1966.
The brass instrument maker Fritz Petzold was born on the 19th September 1879 in Markneukirchen/Vogtland. The Petzold family lived in a house at Oberer Berg Nr. 10. His grandfather Friedrich August Petzold (1823 - 1904) earned the family's living by farming and at the same time, built brass instruments! This tradition was continued by his grandson Fritz.
Because times after 1945 were very difficult, Fritz Petzold became a member of 'MIGMA' on the 26th February 1947, to which he belonged until his death on the 25th June 1957.
MIGMA, founded in 1943, is short for "MIGMA eG Musikinstrumenten Handwerker-Genossenschaft". It's a union of master artisans who preserve and continue the traditions of German instrument making. The oldest marketing and distribution corporation still existent in Markneukirchen, MIGMA sells musical instruments (string instruments, wood instruments and others) all over the world.
As Master Manfred Mönnig (son of Walter Mönnig) told me, Fritz Petzold built one double horn per month.
Fritz Petzold gained a considerable reputation as brass instrument maker; the quality of his instruments was held equal to those of instruments by well-known firms (H. Dressel, H.F. Knopf).
Nothing is known about successors to Fritz Petzold's firm.''
****************************************************************************************************************
Further information:
Tony Halstead: www.halsteadmusic.co.uk
Peter Damm: www.hornistpeterdamm.de/en-vita.html
Migma: www.migma-eg.de/en/index2.html
Markneukirchen Music Museum: www.museum-markneukirchen.de/start.htm