Du, dem sie gewunden

[chopithoven]

Which is the rare instrument which sounds in the start of the melodram Du, dem sie gewunden of the incidental music for Leonore Prohaska?

[Peter]

The Glass Harmonica

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'Man know thyself'

[heidi]

Originally posted by Peter:
The Glass Harmonica

Didn't Ben Franklin invent that?

[Peter]

Originally posted by heidi:
Didn't Ben Franklin invent that?

Gluck had wrongly claimed inventing the musical glasses, (they had in fact been known for at least a century before).Franklin's contribution was in the mechanisation of the glasses. The keyboard modification of Franklin's instrument was introduced by Karl Rollig in 1787.

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'Man know thyself'

[Andrea]

I love the glass harmonica for its eerie, other worldly sound. I have a CD of music for this instrument with includes from Mozart the Adagio and Rondo in C minor, K. 617; Rondeau in B-flat major by Johann Friederich Reichardt; a Quintet in C minor by Karl Leopold Röllig; Largo in C minor by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz; and a Quartet in C major by Johann Gottlieb Naumann.

Dr.Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1814), the famous hypnotist from whom the word "mesmerism" was derived, was also quite able to play this instrument well. Leopold Mozart wrote to his wife, 12 Aug. 1773: "Do you know that Herr von Mesmer plays Miss Davies' harmonica unusually well? He is the only person in Vienna who has learnt it and he possesses a much finer glass instrument than Miss Davies does. Wolfgang too has played upon it. How I should like to have one!" Miss Marianne Davies was a celebrated virtuoso on the glass harmonica in Vienna at this time.

[This message has been edited by Andrea (edited March 14, 2003).]

[heidi]

Originally posted by Peter:
Gluck had wrongly claimed inventing the musical glasses, (they had in fact been known for at least a century before).Franklin's contribution was in the mechanisation of the glasses. The keyboard modification of Franklin's instrument was introduced by Karl Rollig in 1787.

Try this site. I knew he invented something like this.
http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/musician/musician.html

[Andrea]

Originally posted by heidi:
Try this site. I knew he invented something like this.
http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/musician/musician.html

Thank you Heidi. This is a great site, I love it! Way to go Mr. Franklin!