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I'm not sure how I first discovered the glass armonica (also known as Glass Harmonica). I think it was while I was "surfing" on the Internet. Benjamin Franklin invented this instrument in 1761. His inspiration came from hearing music performed with a set of water filled glasses. There are varying opinions about the origin of musical glasses, but the concept seems to be almost as ancient as glass itself. Mr. Franklin's invention was essentially an improvement on the ancient concept. He turned glass bowls sideways and arranged them in keyboard fashion on a spindle. Varying the sizes of the bowls produced different tones. The spindle was rotated by a foot treadle, like that of an old-fashioned sewing machine. One played the instrument by rubbing wet fingers across the rotating glass bowls. At the time of its invention, the glass armonica became very popular. Although Ben Franklin stated that he had Scottish music in mind when he developed the instrument, classical composers seemed intrigued by it. Both Mozart and Beethoven wrote music for it. The glass armonica became extinct for a very strange reason. It was rumored to be detrimental to one's health. It was thought that playing the instrument caused lead poisoning, nervous disorders, and possibly even insanity. The instrument was re-introduced by Gerhard Finkenbeiner, who completed his prototype in 1982. In order to diminish the threat of lead poisoning, he improved the quality of the glass. He now uses pure quartz crystal. There is a wealth of interesting information about the glass armonica on the Internet. I have merely presented a brief synopsis. If you want to learn more, check the following links! |
