Glasharfe

Some people thought that the high-pitched, ethereal tones invoked the spirits of the dead, had magical powers, or drove listeners mad. Others thought that lead from the crystal bowls or paint was absorbed into the musicians' fingers when they touched the glass, causing sickness.

derived from the vérillon (musical glasses), a set of glasses, holding different amounts of water and thus yielding different notes, placed on a soundboard and rubbed by moistened fingers or, rarely, struck with rods. The German composer Christoph Willibald Gluck performed his concerto for this instrument in London in…

To play the armonica, a musician powered a foot pedal to rotate 36 concentric glass bowls and produced notes by putting wet fingers to the spinning glass. In Austria, the glass armonica provided the music for a royal wedding. Mozart and Beethoven would compose chamber pieces for it.

In Franklin's treadle-operated version, 37 bowls were mounted horizontally on an iron spindle. The whole spindle turned by means of a foot pedal. The sound was produced by touching the rims of the bowls with water-moistened fingers.

These are different spellings of the same instrument. Franklin originally named his invention the "armonica", after the Italian word "armonia" which means "harmony", in 1761. Franklin's armonica was especially popular in Germany where it was known as the glassharmonika.

After designing a special glass shape that was ideal for playing, he had all his glasses tuned by grinding them so there was no more need to tune them with water. He called this instrument the “Glass Harp” and gave a great contribution to pass this musical tradition on to the present.

Elvis Presley is one of the most renowned figures in musical history. However, he had a distinctive outlook even before he started wearing his famous glasses. In fact, he started wearing those eyeglasses towards the end of his career when he embraced the title 'The King' with full vigor.

Feel free to try experimenting with some different sizes and shapes of glasses. Do. You think the size and the shape of the glass makes a difference in the sound you. Hear.

Franklin never collected funds from his invention, nor did he patent the idea. Although still around, by the 1830s the glass armonica had become a thing of the past. There are a few musicians who play the instrument today, such as Dennis James.

hydrocrystalophone (See discussion of works written for the instrument following the source list for this article) Named after the Italian word armonia, meaning “harmony,” the armonica also has quite a few alternative names: the hydrocrystalophone, the glass harmonica, the bowl organ, and the glassychord.

Although still around, by the 1830s the glass armonica had become a thing of the past. There are a few musicians who play the instrument today, such as Dennis James. If you're brave enough, give James a listen as he plays one of Mozart's compositions for the glass armonica!

Invented by Ben Franklin and once rumored to drive people to madness (it didn't), the glass armonica is a strange and delicate instrument that only a handful of people in the world can still play. But that hasn't put a stop to its otherworldly sound.