The Glass Armonica

Here is the story - its really pretty incredible.

Once there was a man named Benjamin Franklin - that's right, the womanizing, Euro-loving, scientist, agnostic, Yankee who is easily one of the five most important political leaders in our nation's early history (along with Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton). This man designed many, many things (along with being the primary advocate of a federal system of government way before it was cool - like Frank Sinatra, sorta'. . . kinda'). One of these is the glass armonica.

First Metaphor: If ghosts could sing, they would sound like a glass armonica.

Second Metaphor: If whales could fly around on summer nights in the Smokey Mountains, they would sound like a glass armonica.

Third Metaphor: If either Phillip Glass or Incubus invented an instrument that has already been invented by, hypothetically, had never been invented, it would be the glass armonica.

I could go into tons of detail as to the history and nature of this instrument but heck, everything I know I got off the net anyways, so I might as well just link you up. For some general background, well, there is always the Wikipedia entry on the subject - one of the better written, I might say, that I've yet come across. Nothing fancy, mind you, just straight to the point. The Bakkan Museum has an article as well, though it is more specific to the piece found in their collection. PBS provides a bit too, including a Mozart piece composed for the instrument which, sadly, I don't recommend. Not because the piece is inferior, mind you, but because it demonstrates just how difficult of an instrument this is to properly play.

William Zeitler, who apparently is a glass armonica professional, has his own site (which does, of course, have the requisite history) and, I should add, some great music - dig on, for instance, "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" or his own "Contemplation of the Grail" (which was on NPR) or Mozart's "Adagioa in C for Glass Armonica." And Mayling Garcia's site is a little troubling, but she does have this lovely rendition of "Amazing Grace."

I love this teaser from Dean Shostak - its quite good enough that, as in the case of Zeitler, I am tempted to break down and order some digital fun. Also, yeah, that's right, there are fish.

Not post-mod enough for you? Dig on Jan Erik Mikalsen's recording of "Weeps and Ghosts." I like it, but I know not everyone will.

What'd ol' Eric save for last, you're wondering, what is the zinger at the end? Hmm. . . check out this site called, simply, the Glass Armonica. It has all the basics (including a vague reference to the disappearance in 1999 of the guy who single-handedly began the glass armonica revolution - wow), but it also has these - some truly beautiful, haunting pieces that you're probably going to want to download or bookmark or something (especially the Oror piece)- I mean, if you have a soul.

And of course, this whole article brings up a topic that really makes me quite sad - the fact that entire types, nay, genre of musical instruments will sometimes go extinct, as surely as the poor dodo or great auk. I mean, composers wrote orchaestras for instruments that simply don't exist anymore, or that exist on such a limited scale as to be virtually a nonfactor. So I say this - sure kids, the guitar is awesome and we all love Nirvana. But maybe, just maybe, you should choose a different instrument, something that stands out as extraordinary. The accordian, the harmonica, some long, crazy, 17th century horn, you know? Ah heck, I'm just rambling now. But seriously, if you hear of any glass armonica concerts coming our way, drop me a line. Players.