Preface
I’ve been a musician since I was 5 years old, hold a B.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts—and there was no mention of the ’glass armonica’ in music history or anywhere else in all those studies. Then, in 1996, I happened to hear the Bruno Hoffman recording of the Mozart works for the glass armonica. “This is too beautiful—I have to do this.” Thus began my Quest around the armonica.
Not only does the armonica have its own beautiful and unique musical voice, it also has an extraordinary history. It was invented by Benjamin Franklin. Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Tchaikowsky composed for it. Already it is very unique to have been invented by an Inventor (and Diplomat and Statesman and Businessman) as august as Benjamin Franklin, and it also has had music composed for it by equally august
Composers. In fact, no other musical instrument holds that distinction. But beyond its musical capabilities and unprecedented pedigree, an almost ’supernatural’ dimension has been ascribed to it from the very beginning of its history—both for Good and for Ill. The power to heal has been ascribed to it—Franklin and Mesmer used it for healing; and simultaneously the power to injure: playing it wakes up the ghosts if you play it after midnight, players will suffer lead poisoning, nerve damage, and marital discord, and it even causes convulsions in your pets! I don’t know of any other musical instrument that holds this distinction either—as dubious as it is!
I don’t entirely know what to make of all of this, so I present it all without comment in the pages that follow. Meanwhile, to me, Franklin’s Armonica is at the very least an extraordinary and beautiful musical instrument, with its own marvelous and unique musical voice, which disappeared from use mostly because—we weren’t ready for it yet! Technologically for certain, and perhaps culturally also. It was just too far ahead of its time. Perhaps now we are finally ready for his exquisite and delicate musical flower. Time will tell.
An important note: some questions about glass musical instruments which simply can’t be resolved by appealing to scholarly sources can in fact be resolved by experiment. This is entirely in keeping with Franklin being an “Experimental Natural Philosopher”. For example, the preeminent musical reference Grove’s Dictionary of Music states that adding water to a wineglass raises the pitch. I invite the reader to test this for themselves in their own kitchen: you’ll find that adding water lowers the pitch. In general, my philosophy in this book is to either cite a source, or an experiment the reader can perform for themselves, for every assertion. (Experiments the reader can perform for themselves are indicated by “Try it!”)
Also, many sources are either challenging to access (e.g. a trip to the Library of Congress is necessary) or no English translation is available. So I have erred on the side of lengthier quotes, and when I have had to translate I include the original in the footnote.
Various very famous people are intricately involved with its history. In those cases I have presented just enough biography that their role in the armonica makes sense.
I’m acutely aware of the many shortcomings of this book, and of the inevitability of errors and omissions in spite of all my efforts. I look forward to correcting them in the next edition.
Franklin/Mesmer/Mozart