9 lines
1.4 KiB
TeX
9 lines
1.4 KiB
TeX
\subsection{Bruno Hoffmann and his Glass Harp}
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(1913\EnDash{}1991). German player and maker of the glass harp (a name which he coined)\EmDash{}essentially a set of musical glasses where the glasses are made and ground to pitch so as not to require water tuning. Not only does this simplify setup, but water in the glasses dampens the sides and interferes with the tone. Without the tuning water the sound is much clearer. (Try it! As you increasingly add water, the sound becomes increasingly muffled.)
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Hoffman especially deserves mention because he almost single-handedly revived interest in the \glassarmonica{} literature\EmDash{}by performing it on his glass harp!
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Having studied the piano, the organ and singing, he specialized from 1929 in the glass harp. He constructed a chromatic instrument with a compass of four octaves and developed an impressive technique in playing on it. He became known as a soloist in the 1930s, and was first heard in London in 1938. Hoffman was heard again in London in the 1960s, and in many other cities all over the world.\footnote{King, Alec Hyatt, 'Bruno Hoffmann', The New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed.; ed. Sadie \& Tyrell; Vol. ??? p.585. See also Hoffman's autobiography: Ein Leben f\"{u}r die Glasharfe; 1983; 1983; Helmut Michel ``Unser Niederland'', Backnang; ISBN 3923947062 and Appendix A.2 of Guignard (2002-03)}
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