century. The sounds were produced by the PLAYED ON THE glass dishes struck with wooden sticks. The first references to the glass music in Europe date from the year 1492. The glass cups tuned by the addition of water were played. The first mention about using a set ...then it began to play in the most ghostly of glass instrument in a concert appeared in 1743, when an Irishman Richard tones I have ever heard... Pockridge (1690-1759) constructed a set of called an angel organ. The sound Gottfried Keller was produced by rubbing the glass rims with the wet fingertips or by striking the sides of glasses with the stick. Pockridge became the first virtuoso of the instrument. His performances of the Watermusic by When in the announcement of a concert I would like to say about the harp and the Handel covered the fragile instrument with the name ‘’ is mentioned, rarely armonica as well. The both instruments glory, first in Dublin, and then in all Great anybody knows what instrument is meant, stories are interlaced, although the glass Britain. Pockridge gave also lessons of the sometimes only the photo explains it. To harp is considered today by many the angel organ. His student was e.g. Ann Ford surprise of many listeners it is not similar to instrument without the future, an invention who published the Instructions for playing the well-known string harp. The name is of the “banquet and circus culture”. The the Musical Glasses in 1761. It was the first substantively deceiving. Its inventor, Bruno terminology of the sources seems to be known method for the glass instruments in Hoffman, certainly never suspected what confusing and the history was full of ups the world. popularity this instrument could bring to and downs, which make it not clear. I hope him. – however – my story could present the The concerts played by myself on the instrument from quite another side. glass harp are the good opportunity to In the 18th century the glass music was introduce the audience to this mysterious omnipresent, today it seems to be rather instrument. I usually talk about its important exceptional. What is the reason of such a place in the music life of the past. change? In the world of glass music, the two instruments are most known: the older one Let’s have a look at the both is a glass harp, called the angel organ in instruments… the past days. Another one, a glass armonica, was constructed by Benjamin Their magic tones are used in the music Franklin. The glass harp was made of glass therapy. The audience of the music halls cups, and the glass armonica of the glass has usually various associations, many of bowls fitted concentrically on a horizontal them surely connected with the previous rod. After its popularity blossom in the 18th name of the glass armonica – the angel century, the armonica was nearly forgotten organ. The sound is generated by the for about 100 years, while the glass harp vibration of the glass, touched with wet (angel organ) was appearing in the time fingertips rubbing in a certain fashion the constantly in the concert halls. Although its rims of glass cups or glass bowls. Not construction was improved, its popularity every cup is suitable for the glass harp; the descended also in the 19th century. dimension as well as thickness and shape of the bowl are of great importance. The subtle sound of the glass instruments and their extraordinary atmosphere make the music seem to be quite unreal. After the performances many Grand harmonicon patented people used to approach the glass harp to by Smith in 1825 examine whether the music they had heard before was not generated from any hidden loudspeaker. The movement of the hand Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) skimming the surface of glasses is so was also the one who contributed to create subtle, that one could be convinced the a new musical tradition. The audience was glass has not been even touched. It is hard delighted by the magic sounds emitted by to believe that the principle of the glass his verrillion made also of the glass cups harp activity is as simple as of another tuned with water. Gluck composed a piece classical instruments. for 26 cups with the chamber orchestra accompaniment. The performance in the A little bit about the history… Little Haymarket Theatre in London in 1746 won over the audience. As well as For those who for the first time see a set Pockridge, Gluck used the both ways of of playing cups it is an extremely avant- generating sounds: by rubbing and by garde idea to consider it the music medium. striking. Thanks to the Gluck’s musical To their surprise, they find out that the activity, the glass instruments could be playing the glass glass instruments were already known in considered a real music instruments and the Far East in the Middle Ages, in China in armonica came into serious musical use. The Gluck’s the 12th century, and in Persia in 14th performance was reported in the Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith. The society, the amount of the sound possibilities of the by the instrument that he started to use it in painting, taste, Shakespeare and glass instrument. One can suspect that as for the his medical practice healing the mentally playing were considered there in the one expression and articulation the glass harp diseased patients. Those who were the plane. That places the glass cups among remained more refined. The cups are antagonist to the were at the conversation topics in the fashionable vibrated individually by the musician the same time adverse to the Messmer’s world. according to the character of the music method. The opponents to his “devils piece. It is just on the glass harp that practice” contended that the sound playing rippling staccato and the splendid generated by the vibration of the glass was "Of all my inventions, the glass romantic phrase to be heard. The apt to have a deranging effect on the armonica has given me the greatest instrument is not very loud, but its nerves of the player. Lead contained in the personal satisfaction." dynamics can fascinate with the glass caused also health disorders. The expression. The harmonics sounds atmosphere was so strained that in some -Benjamin Franklin brilliantly in the pieces full of rich towns people were forbidden to play the consonances. Among the famous glass harmonica under the pain of composers of music for the original banishment. The controversies around the Playing sewing machine instrument, there were such splendid effect of the glass tone have endured until personalities as Mozart and Beethoven. the present day. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was the The virtuosos of this original instrument one who brought the biggest popularity of achieved with their performances certain Heaven – Hell the glass music. His glass armonica won popularity all over the world. The golden hearts of the listeners and placed this age for the glass music came. In America It seems in all probability that the American device in the European canon of Stephen Forrage played the armonica, in mysterious glass instruments will for the music. In the spring of 1761, then on a visit Europe Marianne Davies, Franklin’s relative listeners forever be connected with the two to England, Franklin heard Edmund Deleval and won the fame; powers: the angel one and the evil one. play the glass. It made such a big it was just she, the blind remarkable Both cause the devoted admires of glass impression on him and awoke his creativity performer, who fascinated Mozart with her music and fanatic foes as well. On the one that he decided to improve the set of cups playing. Her concert, given in on hand, the positive effects of Messmer’s and minimize the technical difficulties (e.g. 10th January 1791, inspired Mozart to write therapy and the exultation of the listeners by resigning from the tuning with water). some pieces for the armonica; things are pictured; on the other hand the His work resulted with quite a new maybe not of the great format, but of premature childbirth, trance or even fits of instrument where the glass bowls were extraordinary beauty. madness which seized the virtuosos are graded by size on a horizontal rod, which mentioned. The traces of the duality can be found in the aforementioned drama Ah quelle celeste voix! Cela est “Dziady” by A. Mickiewicz. The main vraiment pour prier! character Konrad played the stars like the glass of the armonica. The metaphor of the Niccolo Paganini instrument could suggest that there are two powers in the glass music fighting against each other: the good and the evil one, just Many poets, writers and philosophers like in the soul of Konrad. expressed their opinion about the special Recently, I came up in the Polish daily sound of the armonica, which caught their “Gazeta Wyborcza” an article on the last imagination. report concerning the uncommon influence It was Goethe, Schiller, Wieland, Hegel. of glass harmonica. It said Beethoven’s Enchanted by the armonica were also: A. death could have been caused by the Pushkin, N. Paganini and A. Mickiewicz playing on the glass, his beloved who mentioned the instrument in his instrument. The lead poisoning was famous drama “Dziady” / “The Forefathers”. diagnosed and in the estimation of the American scientist it could have been The heyday of the armonica lasted until caused by frequent contact of the about 1835. The phenomenon occurred composer’s fingers with the glass bowls. and disappeared suddenely. The armonica The contemporary glass contained almost was forgotten for about 100 years. It was 45% of lead. And the contents in the who as the first contributed master’s body exceeded the today’s norm glass armonica to the revival of the instrument in the 20th 100 times! All it seems to be reliable century. considering that the fingers of the glass was actuated by a crank attached to a player were damped with the saliva. The pedal (the same mechanism as in the The cursed harmonica same regards the angel organ. On the old sewing-machine). The performer’s role was photos we can see the painted glass rims. to touch the rotating rims of the glass. The Let’s have a look at the mysterious It is a well known fact that the paint new instrument was invented in 1761, and disappearing of the glass harmonica from contained also a big quantity of lead. since then its popularity has been growing the concert halls. Quite unexpectedly, the Fortunately, nowadays glass is free of the constantly. It was really the technical rumors appeared about glass music. As a poisonous substances and playing is no advancement which simplified the play. The result, the harmonica was cursed and more dangerous. virtuosos could play with all ten fingers eliminated outside the pale of the high simultaneously and perform more texturally society. The sound of glass music was The museum pieces complicated pieces on account of this suspected to make bad influence on both improvement. Looking backwards, one players and listeners. Why such a bad The decrease of the glass harmonica could think however that the rotating reputation? And so the Vienna doctor and popularity was also influenced by the more mechanism has not contributed to enrich scientist Franz Messmer was so enraptured general changes. The orchestra strains became wider and the tendency to the How to call it? Adagio and Rondo for armonica, flute, expressive solo virtuosity forced out slowly oboe, viola and cello K.617 as well. The the soft chamber music and thereby also The instrument made of the glass cups is pieces came into the music literature canon the sound refined instruments. The called today in many ways: glass harp, and became obligatory in the repertoire of popularity of fisharmonica (called also musical glasses, wine glasses, singing the glass music performers. harmonium, nowadays fisharmonica) glasses, angelic organ, glass harfe, harpe became to grow as well as of the hammer de verre, verrillon, séraphin, arpa di vetro, From the performer , which was not as expensive and arpa de cristal… fragile, but more comprehensive than the The English name ‘glass harp’ is the When the first amazement and surprise glass ones. most popular, although controversial, too. It caused by the extraordinariness of the No wonder the glass harp and the glass is used by many performers for various instrument is gone, the listener expects harmonica, once so beloved, and giving glass instruments but the opponents say it simply good music. Contrary to what one listeners so many exultations and suits only the one constructed by Bruno could think, playing the cups is quite fascinations, became only museum pieces. Hoffmann. difficult. One could joke, of course – “I can The name ‘angel organ’ is now rare to be play them, yes, I do it now and again, And yet it turns round… found. It seems to be too sentimental for washing up the dishes”. But is it not the the present-day people although it renders same with another instrument? Certainly The end of the glass music heyday was the character of music well. everybody could generate a sound of the not however the end of the tradition, The term ‘musical glasses’ is also in use. violin, maybe even play a simple melody. especially of the angel organ. Though the To all intends and purposes it means also But is it music? hamonica was forgotten, the angel organ many another instruments became an inspiration for the inventor in the type of bells, with Hopkinson-Smith (1797-1872). Looking for the glass harmonica the optimal form for his instrument he above all. created a grand harmonicon made of 25 The terminological cups fitted in a square box. The instrument questions connected with did not need to be tuned with water – the lass armonica are by far bowls were cut in a certain fashion to less complicated. Both achieve a proper intonation. It was the next names – harmonica and shape of the angel organ, close already to the Italian one – armonica the present-day glass harp. – are in use. So our story reached 20th century and the meritorious propagator of the glass The original literature music – . The nowadays glass harp’s revival is due to him. He One could consider the attempted various improvements resulting amount of the music in a new form of the angel organ. The most pieces written for the glass important was the use of properly moulded instruments relatively glass cups fitted in the body of the small, but we can find instrument. about 400 such a pieces, first of all for harmonica. The most popular is Adagio for glass Glass Duo Glass harp of Glass Duo armonica K.356 (K.617a) by Mozart and his To play the glass harp I usually use the whole hands. They are my bow and my sticks. Depending on the articulation, the hand can turn into an acrobat jumping over the rims of the cups, or into a ray-fish which waving up and down skims subtly the surface with its wide body. The result depends on my skills, my invention and my precision. Will it be only the circus performance and the proof for the “one can also do it in this way”? Or will it prove something more; will it let me take the audience to the land of non trivial sounds; to the music to be heard with real delight? Let me hope the reader has been convinced that the glass harp could create the great possibilities that it has been a real music instrument with rich past and future as well. The rest depends on me the performer.

Anna Szafraniec