Distilling Distler Info

I didn't plan on it, but somehow I ended up with a Distler Santa Fe box car. And, as always, it came with as many questions as it does answers.

Distler was a German toy firm who manufactured H0 scale tinplate trains from about 1953-1960. Their postwar history is intertwined with Trix, another German firm, but that's beyond the scope of this post.

I knew that Distler had made a Santa Fe passenger set in 1957 for the American importer Cragstan (see: Distler vs. Nomura, parts 1 & 2). I was only aware of two Distler sets imported by Cragstan - the 1957 tinplate passenger set, and an early 1960s plastic freight set. Both were battery powered.

The seller billed this box car as coming from a "department store set."

But where?

I did find some references to an H0 tinplate train set made a German department store by Grötsch, another toy manufacturer. Grötsch rolling stock is similar to Distler's but they're based on European prototype (including a German-style goods wagon with New Haven markings!)

Fortunately, the German site Spur00 had the answer. In 1957 Distler offered both a freight and passenger train set.

Was the freight set ever imported? That I don't know.

Comparing the box car with the Cragstan/Distler passenger cars proved interesting. Both had the same "Made in Western Germany" markings. The frame, wheels, and trucks are identical, although they're painted black on the box car.

There is one difference. The box car has an angled roof, while the passenger car has a rounded roof. That's an additional manufacturing expense.

The comparable box car and passenger car from Japan's Nomura company (also imported by Cragstan) don't have this distinction. Both have a rounded roof, requiring only a change in lithography. But that's not surprising since Nomura was all about keeping costs down.

According to Spur00, the 504 Freight Set had three cars; an orange Santa Fe box car, a brown NYC gondola car, and a black flat car with two plastic vehicles.

So one down, and two to go. Although I'm not optimistic about finding that flat car with the vehicles still with it...

I know, the box car never came with the passenger set. But they're all
Santa Fe rolling stock, and I think it makes a great photo.

Diabelli Project 143 - Flute and Clarinet Duet

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

This week's flash composition is a duet for flute and clarinet. This is the second time I've sketched one out in the Diabelli Project series (see: Diabelli Project 122). The previous sketch was a study in polytonality. This time, I was interested in various ways to transform my initial motif as it went along. Although, it might not be out of place in a larger work with that other sketch...

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Line Mar Match Box Construction 038 - Machine Gun

I found a Line Mar Match Box Construction Set from the 1930s, complete and with instructions. The box claimed the set made 100 different toys. I decided to test that claim -- one toy at a time. You can read all the posts for the Line Mar construction project at 100 Toys.

038. Machine Gun

It seems like every time I have a problem building one of these toys, it has to do with the dowel rods. And that's exactly what happened here.

The dowel that supports the legs prevents the dowel that represents the machine gun barrel from moving into the body of the gun as much as it needs to (per the instructions). The dowel representing the ammo clip in the back can't go any lower without sticking through the bottom of the gun. 

I think this is one where the artist fudged things a little. Not that I put the correct number of washers on the barrel -- but they're not nearly as thick as the artist thinks they are. The thickness would be correct for the wooden discs, but there are only two of those.

John Rutter: Visions

If you like John Rutter, then you'll enjoy his latest release. Although the two works featured are separated by three decades, there's a stylistic consistency that's pure Rutter.

I found the newest work, "Visions," (2016), more satisfying than 1985's "Requiem," which is paired with it here. Rutter's music always seems to have a sunny, easy-going spirit to it regardless of the subject matter.

For me, "Visions" was both uplifting and inspirational. Rutter effectively sets his mystical texts in a cloud of impressionist harmonies. The obbligato solo violin flitting through the work reminded me strongly of Ralph Vaughan William's "A Lark Ascending." The music had a more expansive quality to it than most Rutter extended works, and the harmonies were a little more adventuresome.

When compared to the 1985 "Requiem," one can hear maturation in Rutter's style. It's not a dramatic change, but rather a subtle refinement of skill.

Speaking of the "Requiem," this is the second time Rutter's recorded it. I'm not sure I heard a marked difference in the interpretation between this and the original 1980s version. The advances in digital recording and mastering, though, work to the benefit of the music, making gorgeous sounds even more so.

Rutter's "Requiem" is full of rich harmonies and well-crafted melodies that are unapologetically beautiful. Rutter's style is too upbeat to create a work that mourns the loss of a life. Instead, his "Requiem" is a celebration of the soul's transition from the church militant to the church triumphant (that is, from this world to the next).

If you're a Rutter fan, then you're probably already in. If not, this may be the place to start your exploration.

John Rutter: Visions, Requiem
Visions: Kerson Leong, solo violin; The Temple Church Boy's Choir; Aurora Orchestra
Requiem: Alice Halstead, soprano; The Cambridge Singers; Aurora Orchestra
John Rutter, conductor
Collegium Records COLCD 139

Musical Treasures from the Cardinal King

Henry Benedict Stuart, the younger brother of "Bonnie Prince Charlie," was a lover of music and frequenter of the opera before taking his orders. After becoming a cardinal, Henry forsook the secular and became a strong patron of sacred music composers. This release presents a sampling of the Cardinal King' patronage, with music ranging from the 1740s through 1791.

Stylistically, most of the compositions walk a fine line between sacred and secular. Their polyphony harkens back to the late renaissance. The a capella pieces especially have an older 17th-century sound to them.

And yet when instruments are added, the accompanying patterns seem to have more in common with mid-Baroque Italian opera (albeit with an organ, rather than a harpsichord filling in the harmonies).

Relatively well-known Italian composers such as Niccolo Jommelli and violinist Carlo Tessarini are represented, but the most interesting works (to me, anyway) come from lesser lights. Sebastiano Bolis was Henry's maestro di Cappella for almost twenty years. And while he composed a large body of work, he remains obscure and his music mostly unheard. His works presented here are masterworks of choral writing. While seemingly simple and unadorned, they nevertheless use some very piquant dissonances to emphasize words and lead voices to a proper resolution.

Even more obscure is Giovanni Zamboni, who may or may not be the son of a famous lutenist by the same name. Zamboni's music seems to draw on Monteverdi for inspiration. His works are contemporary takes on the art of the madrigal. Like Monteverdi, Zamboni starts with the text and uses it to shape the direction of the music. Knowing these works were written in the 1750s, I can only describe their sound as retro -- and beautiful.

The Cappella Fede and Harmonia Sacra, directed by Peter Leech have a smooth vocal blend. Each line is clearly articulated, making the contrapuntal passages especially effective. This is a recording I enjoyed very much, both for its artistry and its spiritual authenticity.

The Cardinal-King
Music for Henry Benedict Stuart in Rome, 1740-91
world premiere recordings
Giovanni Battista Costanzi, Niccolo Jommelli, Giovanni Zaboni, Sebastiano Bolis, Carlo Tessarini
Cappella Fede; Harmonia Sacra; Peter Leech, director
Toccata Classics