Beethoven and the glass harmonica

[Ludwig]

I red somewhere that Beethoven had composed music for GLASS HARMONICA(also known as armonica)
I wonder is it true?

[Ludwig]

"William Meredith, director of the Center for Beethoven Studies, said it's a long stretch to prove the armonica killed Beethoven, who lived in an era when lead was everywhere--in pewter drinking vessels, dinnerware and utensils, in the leading of windows, in candles, in water pipes, in paint.

"Perhaps he chewed on his pencils," Meredith said, "but we are very far away from knowing what was the source of Beethoven's lead poisoning."

[Michael]

Beethoven composed a short piece (less than two minutes)as part of the incidental music to "Leonore Prohaska" in 1815. It's a melodrama in its original literal sense. The glass harmonica provides a (weird) background to a recitation. I believe Mozart wrote a substantial work for this instrument.
I don't get the lead-poisoning connection. ??

Michael

[Bobbie]

The number for this work is , Wo0 96,
'Trauermarsch'.

[Droell]

Originally posted by Michael:
Beethoven composed a short piece (less than two minutes)as part of the incidental music to "Leonore Prohaska" in 1815. It's a melodrama in its original literal sense. The glass harmonica provides a (weird) background to a recitation. I believe Mozart wrote a substantial work for this instrument.
I don't get the lead-poisoning connection. ??

Michael

There is or was a belief in some circles that the essence of lead pervaded the sounds that came from the lead-based glass harmonica, thus making unpleasant to listen to. This was said to be the reason for the instrument's quick demise.

One might extrapolate that light passing through lead-based glass would be unhealthy, etc., etc., except that sounds & smells are both rather strange things. So before we conclude this is just silly, we should find someone who plays the thing & ask him.

[Anthina]

Originally posted by Droell:

. So before we conclude this is just silly, we should find someone who plays the thing & ask him.

Indeed it is. That's what wikipedia says about the lead and glass harmonica:

"A modern version of the "purported dangers" claims that players suffered lead poisoning because armonicas were (and some still are) made of lead glass. However, there is no known scientific basis for the theory that merely touching lead glass can cause lead poisoning. On the other hand, it is known that lead poisoning was common in the 18th and early 19th centuries for both armonica players and non-players alike: doctors prescribed lead compounds for a long list of ailments, lead oxide was used as a preservative in food and beverages, food was cooked in tin/lead pots, and acidic beverages were commonly drunk from lead pewter vessels. Even if armonica players of Franklin's day somehow received trace amounts of lead from their instruments, that would likely have been dwarfed by the lead they were receiving from other sources."

The instrument's popularity did not last far beyond the 18th century, partially because of a strange rumor that using the instrument caused both musicians and their listeners to go insane.

One example of fear from playing the glass armonica was noted by a German musicologist Friedrich Rochlitz in Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung where it is stated that "the armonica excessively stimulates the nerves, plunges the player into a nagging depression and hence into a dark and melancholy mood that is apt method for slow self-annihilation. If you are suffering from any nervous disorder, you should not play it; if you are not yet ill you should not play it; if you are feeling melancholy you should not play it."

weird

And yes, Mozart for example composed
"Adagio in c-minor for glass harmonika" KV 356 for the glass harmonika virtuose Marianne Kirchgäßner


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*~Ja, was haben's da scho wieder gmacht, Beethoven?~*

[This message has been edited by Anthina (edited 03-15-2006).]

[Droell]

Originally posted by Anthina:

One example of fear from playing the glass armonica was noted by a German musicologist Friedrich Rochlitz in Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung where it is stated that "the armonica excessively stimulates the nerves, plunges the player into a nagging depression and hence into a dark and melancholy mood that is apt method for slow self-annihilation. If you are suffering from any nervous disorder, you should not play it; if you are not yet ill you should not play it; if you are feeling melancholy you should not play it."

weird

All of which is a very good description of lead & its planetary ruler, Saturn, as given in the old astrology books, of which I have many hereabouts. So was Herr Rochlitz speaking objectively, or was he merely copying from one of his standard texts?

[Michael]

Originally posted by Anthina:

One example of fear from playing the glass armonica was noted by a German musicologist Friedrich Rochlitz in Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung where it is stated that "the armonica excessively stimulates the nerves, plunges the player into a nagging depression and hence into a dark and melancholy mood that is apt method for slow self-annihilation. If you are suffering from any nervous disorder, you should not play it; if you are not yet ill you should not play it; if you are feeling melancholy you should not play it."

weird

And yes, Mozart for example composed
"Adagio in c-minor for glass harmonika" KV 356 for the glass harmonika virtuose Marianne Kirchgäßner

[/B]

Beethoven's strange piece certainly has the effect described above, but I doubt if this two-minute work contributed to his early demise. It might have done so for some of his listeners.

Michael

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by Ludwig:
"William Meredith, director of the Center for Beethoven Studies, said it's a long stretch to prove the armonica killed Beethoven, who lived in an era when lead was everywhere--in pewter drinking vessels, dinnerware and utensils, in the leading of windows, in candles, in water pipes, in paint.

"Perhaps he chewed on his pencils," Meredith said, "but we are very far away from knowing what was the source of Beethoven's lead poisoning."

Dear Forum;

Contrary to popular belief, there is no lead in lead pencils for the last 400 years!!


Hofrat

[Anthina]

Originally posted by Michael:
Beethoven's strange piece certainly has the effect described above

Michael do you know if you can listen to that piece somehwere in the internet?

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*~Ja, was haben's da scho wieder gmacht, Beethoven?~*

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by Anthina:
Michael do you know if you can listen to that piece somehwere in the internet?

Dear Anthina;

I have a CD that features this work.


Hofrat

[Michael]

Originally posted by Anthina:
Michael do you know if you can listen to that piece somehwere in the internet?

I don't know, Anthina. Try "Beethoven Glass Harmonica" or similar into Google. I have it on a CD I bought about ten years ago and I don't know if it's still available.
The label is DGG (Deutsche Grammophon) and the number is 447 748-2. The disc comprises incidental music from "The Consecration of the House" and "Leonore Prohaska", Berlin Phil conducted by Claudio Abbado.
The same glass harmonica recording is used on Vol 3 of the Complete Beethoven Edition - a five CD set of Orchestral Works and Music for the Stage. (DGG 453 713-2)

Michael

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by Michael:

Originally posted by Anthina:
Michael do you know if you can listen to that piece somehwere in the internet?

I don't know, Anthina. Try "Beethoven Glass Harmonica" or similar into Google. I have it on a CD I bought about ten years ago and I don't know if it's still available.
The label is DGG (Deutsche Grammophon) and the number is 447 748-2. The disc comprises incidental music from "The Consecration of the House" and "Leonore Prohaska", Berlin Phil conducted by Claudio Abbado.
The same glass harmonica recording is used on Vol 3 of the Complete Beethoven Edition - a five CD set of Orchestral Works and Music for the Stage. (DGG 453 713-2)

Michael

Dear Anthina;

That is the exact CD that I have!!


Hofrat

[Anthina]

thanks both of you. Another cd on my list..It's terrible. I spend all my money on cd's and books.

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*~Ja, was haben's da scho wieder gmacht, Beethoven?~*

[Peter]

Originally posted by Anthina:
thanks both of you. Another cd on my list..It's terrible. I spend all my money on cd's and books.

Sounds ok to me! I ought to open up as a library having more classical cds and music books than my local!


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'Man know thyself'