Keeping the ethereal sounds of the glass armonica alive ben franklins invention is still singing otherworldly songs to the few who know how to play it. On thursday afternoon, gerhard finkenbeiner, renowned for resurrecting benjamin franklins glass harmonica, walked out the door of his waltham glass laboratory, telling employees he was running home for a spell. Among franklins inventions is the glass armonica now better known as the glass harmonica. Scores 0 parts 0 arrangements and transcriptions 0 other 1 source.
Musical glasses armonica, probably germany, early 19th century. People loved the new sound it became all the rage throughout england, france, and germany. Baroque, classical, 1980s, austria, england, germany, ireland, usa, adagio, rock the glass armonica is one of many curious. Publication date 2001 topics glass harmonica, musical fiction, science fiction, glass harmonica, musical fiction, science fiction. The crystal armonica is also called glass harmonica, glass armonica or simply called armonica and was invented by benjamin franklin. Mozart and tom waits wrote music for the glass armonica which. Test the pitch, then remove enough water to make the glass sound one halfstep. Click download or read online button to get the glass harmonica book now. He was trained in piano and organ playing, but on encountering the musical glasses at age 16. This common name is the reason why we included the instrument in.
There the new freedoms and puritan vigor compete for ascendancy. Composer william zeitler plays a glass armonica, invented by benjamin franklin in 1761. Music paves the way for her to flee with henry, her love, to postrevolutionary america. Today, the glass harmonica is an absolute rarity, with roughly ten professional players worldwide. The harmonica excessively stimulates the nerves, plunges the player into a nagging depression and hence into a dark and melancholy mood, that is an apt method for slow selfannihilation. A musician playing a glass harmonica comes to a town governed by bureaucracy and corruption. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. For more on this fascinating story read the full article here on the. The ethereal sound of the glass harmonica, as an affecting power which impacts the body of the player directly, was thought to be the guilty party. From cambridge english corpus this strange clash, of course, belongs to the relationes non harmonica, a contrapuntal phenomenon much discussed and variously evaluated in the musictheoretical literature of the eighteenth century. Franz anton mesmer, a vienna doctor known for his experiments mesmerism and for using hypnosis to treat his clients, would condition them by playing the. The germans eventually added an h to it, giving us the glass harmonica.
Franklin, being franklin, was inspired to go a step further and create a new musical instrument, the glass armonica harmony in italian, from 37 graduated bowels revolving on a spindle. Johns newfoundland, the glass harmonica by russell wangersky lets the neighbours who live there share their joys and sorrows and family legacies. Musical glasses armonica, probably germany, early 19th century 17. The general idea was that playing the glass would cause maladies of the nerves, according to the musichistory book performing knowledge 17501850, edited by mary helen dupree and sean b. But later, in 1798 friedrich rochlitz wrote in theallgemeine musikalische zeitung. Benjamin franklin, the american statesman, diplomat, politician, writer, printer, political philosopher, scientist, inventor, and allaround enlightenment renaissance man, was born on this date in 1706. Catalogue of the crosby brown collection of musical instruments. Chiho calls her instrument a crystal armonica because her armonica produced by g. It is composed of greater than 99% pure silicon dioxide, producing the purest tones available in glass. All of them did so, in fact, but one, the only animated film in soviet history to face a ban.
Throughout the 20th century, a wide range of films made it past the censors and reached large audiences on cinema and television screens, including many based on western literature. Today, the glass harmonica enjoys a limited number of admirers, none of which have filed a lawsuit alleging mental illness. She has no idea that this will put her life in jeopardy. Take a glass of the same size as the first and add water until it is at the same level as the first glass. The glass armonica was reinvented by a german glassblower and musician, gerhard b. Andrei khrzhanovskys the glass harmonica, at the top, a 1968 satire on bureaucracy. Julia, who is a decedent of benjamin franklin, is about to receive an inheritance from him. Wikipedia, lexilogos, langenscheidt, duden, wissen, oxford, collins dictionaries.
His study of anglo german relations, best of enemies, has been turned into a film for german and british television. The glass harmonica by russell wangersky goodreads. An early medical book said that listening to the sounds produced on glasses was sure to cure certain maladies of the blood. Ink is made of pure quartz crystal and contains no lead. A set of tuned glasses, with or without water, is commonly known as a glass harp. Some thought that it was the touching of the instrument that caused problems, and created a keyboard version, wherein striking a note would cause a leathercovered hammer to rub against the glass. The glass harmonica download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. From the boston globe on 050999 waltham mans disappearance baffling by tatsha robertson, globe staff. Years of journalism have helped the writer know how to stitch a story. The heavenly sounds of the glass armonica damn interesting.
Use a guitar tuner, available online or at a music store, or download an app to your computer or phone. Glass harmonicas were banned by a police decree in some german cities and disappeared in 1835. Still, this wasnt enough to dispel fear, especially in some german towns where the armonica was banned from use. Glass harmonica, musical instrument consisting of a set of graduated, tuned glass bowls sounded by the friction of wetted fingers on their rims. The glass harmonica, also known as the glass armonica, glass harmonium, bowl organ. Bruno hoffmann 15 september 19 11 april 1991 was a german player of the glass harp. The glass harmonica, which was, among other things, the original lucia glass instrument, is a set of nested crystal bowls. A set of tuned glasses, with or without water, is commonly known as a glass. By the 1780s, finkenbeiner says in his german accent, the glass harmonica invented by franklin was the talk of every social event. An orphaned girl is asked by ben franklin to help him with his newest invention, the glass harmonica, after he hears her playing the musical glasses on a street corner in london. Two locking and two padlock hasp locking side pieces, and two recessed end handles.
The first animated film to be officially banned in russia. A german music expert warned not to play this instrument if you are suffering from a nervous disorder or are feeling melancholy. Ben franklin originally called his invention the glassychord. In the 21st century, a young woman is a musical prodigy skilled at playing the glass harmonica, but is haunted by ghostly visions. Well, glass harmonica is a catchall term for any instrument involving the rubbing of glass, with the harmonica part derived from the italian word for. It was invented by benjamin franklin and was derived from the verillon musical glasses, a set of glasses, holding different amounts of water and thus. The glass armonica benjamin franklins magical musical. The youngest of the glass instruments was developed only 20 years ago in germany. His melodies introduce new ideas in the form of a red carnation, however his instrument is shattered to pieces by the maninblack, and he is taken in, to be disappeared forever. Sterkis study is an invaluable resource for the history of the harmonica and other glass instruments. Benjamin franklins glass armonica the franklin institute. While in the case, two people are needed to carry the glass harmonica.
German musicologist johann friedrich rochlitz said. Franklin called his new invention the glassychord, after which he would change the name to the glass armonica, which was derived from the italian word armonia, which means harmony. A german glass harmonica maker, who supplied most of europe, recently decided to retire. The instrument has a mahogany case and stand, and the musical glass bowls are supported on corks along an iron rod. Glass harmonica gfi scientific glass blowing products. Harmonica definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Working with a london glassblower, he eliminated the need for water tuning by having each glass made with the correct size and thickness to.
The instrument was even banned from a german town by police decision for ruining the health of people and disturbing public order a child died during a concert. Keeping the ethereal sounds of the glass armonica alive. Black, foam lined travel cases come with straps that hold down the base panel of our instruments. You can complete the translation of glasharmonika given by the german english collins dictionary with other dictionaries. Interesting instruments the glass harmonicas unlikely. I attended a concert by dean, where i purchased this set. Library user joan says here is another talented canadian writer doing what canadian writers do best. Richard milton is a journalist and writer who writes stories most sensible people wouldnt touch with a bargepole.
When benjamin franklin invented his mechanical version of the instrument, he called it the armonica, based on the italian word armonia, which means harmony. With reverso you can find the german translation, definition or synonym for glasharmonika and thousands of other words. We have all heard the pieces, and now enjoy hearing how the composers intended them to sound on a glass armonica. The glass harmonica, also known as the glass armonica, glass harmonium, bowl organ, hydrocrystalophone, or simply the armonica or harmonica derived from. Finkenbeiners legacy, improvements continue to be added to the process in accordance with his dreams of breathing new life into franklins musical invention. His bestselling critique of darwinism as an ideology, shattering the myths of darwinism, caused a storm of controversy.
The glass armonica by composer eric harry, mozart adagio for. Glass armanica is a samplebased recreation of benjamin franklins rubbed glass instrument known as the glass harmonica or hydrocrystalophone. Glasharmonika translation english german dictionary. The samples were created by filling wine glasses with water and tuning them with a chromatic tuner to the appropriate pitches drop by drop. A lexicon of the fantastical byfield, barbara ninde on. Note the varying sizes of the glasses used franklins glass armonica included two to three octaves of the musical scale, allowing a composer greater personal expression in his or.
Glass armanica glass harmonica audio plugins for free. Smashwords about richard milton, author of dead secret. His love of the glass armonica comes across in the music. The story of benjamin franklins glass armonica corey mead on. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. The glass armonica pictured here was constructed in london by charles james in 1761, made from ben franklins own instructions. Hoffmann is widely acknowledged as the virtuoso who reanimated contemporary interest in the glass harp and glass harmonica bruno hoffmann was born in stuttgart, germany, the son of a church music director. Those with gold bands indicate the equivalent of the black keys on the piano. Actually the glass harmonica has nothing to do with the type of bellowsdriven instruments, except for the name harmonica, or sometimes armonica, that comes from the greek word for harmony. Benjamin franklin was inspired by a performance he witnessed in england where a man performed on tuned wineglasses, creating a sweet tone. The glass harmonica is an exciting, historical fiction novel. Benjamin franklins cursed glass harmonica mysterious. The objects pictured above are part of the franklin institute s protected collection of objects.
739 1010 455 879 966 921 1613 353 927 193 91 1179 954 537 1331 596 636 601 824 505 1131 345 664 429 221 657 1207 710 170 655 129 1289