Sounds of a Glass Armonica
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- Опубліковано 8 кві 2013
- Composer William Zeitler plays a glass armonica, invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761. For more on this fascinating story read the full article here on the Toronto Star: on.thestar.com/2jmXp0E. Or read an excerpt of Joe Fiorito's article below:
Rare instrument makes an eerie Toronto debut: Fiorita
The mad scene, in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor,” will feature a rare glass armonica performance by William Zeitler.
The second thing you learn, when you learn to drink wine, is how much fun it is to run a wet finger along the rim of the glass in order to make an eerie musical sound.
The third thing you learn is that, if you run your wet finger around the rim of a glass half-full, it will produce a different sound than that of a glass that is full.
The first thing you learn? If you have to ask, you have never had a glass. Now, let the curtain rise on Lucia di Lammermoor.
I will, as usual, explain:
The Canadian Opera Company is mounting a production of Donizetti’s masterwork; during the performance, eerie music plays as Lucia goes mad.
That music was written for a rare and peculiar instrument; the dull call it a bowl organ; snobs call it a hydrocrystalophone; you and I will call it what its inventor, Ben Franklin, called it.
The glass armonica.
Franklin, who could not refrain from inventing things, was in England in 1761 when he saw a fellow playing glasses filled with water; intrigued, he had some glass bowls made, large and small; these he mounted on a spindle, and he used a treadle to make them spin. Then he wet his fingers, and Bob was his uncle.
Enter William Zeitler. He is from California, and has been brought here for the Lucia. We met the other day, at the Four Seasons Centre. He led me backstage to a rehearsal hall. We talked as we walked.
He said, “The music for the mad scene was composed for the armonica; it has an other-worldly sound, but that first player was a pain in the neck, according to the story, so it’s usually played on the flute.” And, of course, there are more flutes than armonicas in the world.
The rehearsal hall looks like a high school gym without the basketball nets. The armonica sat off to the side on its own table; squint, and it looks like bubbles; you want to hold your breath.
Zeitler, a trusting soul, left me alone for a moment, saying, “I’m going to find some dihydromonoxide.”
Water, to you.
He needed to wash his hands. His fingers must be oil-free when he plays. “You want your hands squeaky-clean. I use lava soap; four out of five armonica players agree.” That’s a joke. There are only five or six armonica players in the world.
He returned with a bowl of water and set it down. Water, fingertips; rosin, bow; same thing.
Zeitler’s first instrument was the piano, but as soon as he heard the armonica, he was hooked. He had one made 15 years ago in Waltham, Mass., by the late and legendary Gerhard Finkenbeiner.
Zeitler’s instrument has 44 bowls, some of which are rimmed with gold to indicate the equivalent of what would be, on the piano, black keys.
The set of bowls is worth $36,000. He travels with them in a special nesting case; the rest of the instrument - spindle, brackets etc. - accompanies him as excess baggage.
He then turned on an electrical device which set the spindle spinning, wet his fingers and began to play the mad scene from the opera. The music is haunting; if I say it is mesmerizing, I’m not kidding.
Mesmer; look him up.
Zeitler has recorded 10 CDs, eight of which are his own music; the other two contain music written for the instrument by Mozart and others.
When he finished with the mad scene, I, cheekily, asked him to play “Stairway To Heaven.” He, cheekily, obliged.
Jimmy Page, but better.
“Lucia di Lammermoor?” That’s Italian for “I love Lucy.” No, it isn’t. But you should go and see the opera, if only to hear Mr. Zeitler rock his bowls.
Other musician: What do you do?
This guy: The dishes
Ahahahaha
EL OH EL!!!
Hahahahahahahah
This was made 9 months ago why doesn't it have more likes than this
Duck 🤷🏼♂️
Sad Ice Cream Man music.
Rotfl.
What made you use 100% of your brain good sir?
Iced cream With a scoop o depression
Why can i see him in my head? And most im0ortantly why is it so goddamn hilarious
LMFAO
Doesn't really hurt my brain like how people told me it does. It sounds good and very high pitched
I find the sound quite soothing.
If your attentioning to the music you cannot feel a pain in your brain but it's kind of hurting it while your focus on the music
Your not feeling it well....
It's kinda cool but the sound is a bit unnerving for me. This would be awesome for a horror game!
because what they said about the glass armonica was all rumors
Bruh how have I not known my entire life that somewhere out there, in the annals of history, there existed a sick collab track by frickin Ben Franklin and Mozart
b
.
I myself only learned of the armonica today and am quite shocked too...and I learned it from a second grade textbook! (I teach second grade.)
Roger that
Right 😁
worthy take sir.
Looks and sounds like something you'd find in a Victorian era circus
@TXzombiekiller lmao wot
@TXzombiekiller, what is your evidence to back up your claim. Cite specific, credible sources and provide links to those sources.
Not the Victorians
Neat
Petey Graffiti Furries...
from the website: "Glass Harmonica Prices start at $7,880.00..." OK :D
Get one homie!
This Word Is A Lalala. Lalala. Zoo Pack Glows The Harp
those who own glass harmonicas shouldn't get stoned
I have 3 of them
steep,but it is crystal,and alot of it,hand crafted,and custom.everything rich folk need to ask retarded amounts of money for.
There's no wonder why this was one of Benjamin Franklin's favorite inventions. The design is simplistic, yet the instrument comes from eclectic ideas.
Its his favourite because it able to bleed any ears.
Eclectic ideas?
It's blown glass on a woodworker's lathe.
@@ems7623 sounds like my Fridays
@@ems7623 The idea came from a concert he saw where the instrument was an assembly of wine glasses that had different amounts of water in them to play a specific note. He thought it was inefficient to only be able to be play two notes at a time (two hands) and wanted to make one laid out a piano. I would say an instrument of that nature and origin is unusual and therefore eclectic.
The fact that it’s just blown glass on a lathe shows it’s simplicity, yet brilliance.
@@cnachopchopnewsagency actually you can try listening to Camile saint saens aquarium or "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" on the Glass Armonica in youtube. you will understand the beauty of this instrument.
"high-pitched, ethereal tones invoked the spirits of the dead, had magical powers, or drove listeners mad"
Cool
Right...... 🤣
Black butler???
This has to be the coolest instrument ever. It is in a league of its own
Wtf man glass armonica is the most dangerous instrument and that thing has evil spirit
@@vanillagaming9598 But it’s so beautiful nonetheless.
@@vanillagaming9598 you don't seem to be proving them wrong, that all sounds pretty cool to me.
There's heaps of cool, strange instruments out there - personally the theremin is my fave
@@vanillagaming9598 Isnt it crazy? How it’s so dangerous yet when perfected is so beautiful
It looks like he’s gently petting a big translucent carrot 🥕
Giant parsnip.. :)
John Doe I do all the things you say but to and I hate you
with a spine.... no thanks, devil, no carrots in my Christian diet anymore
hahahaha...
I want what you were on at this moment
In addition to the glass armonica, Franklin invented the lightning rod and bifocal eyeglasses. And he was one of the key players in the Revolution. He was also the first Postmaster General, and he started the first toll road in America. The list goes on. Franklin was simply extraordinary.
Franklin was single handedly responsible for us winning the revolution. By going to France as our
first ambassador and getting the king to join the war. we were getting our asses kicked up until
then. farmers with squirrel guns up against the UK world power.
btw... the king actually refused, offering instead to sell us cannons and powder. Ben paid for
it all with rubber checks and worthless IOUs (we had no treasury then) until we got so far into
debt that France couldnt afford for us to lose.
the country was founded on kiting checks.
Too bad Edison literally took pages from other people's books.... he should've been more like Franklin.
@@Manibular Edison was competitive, and at times acted more like a businessman than a scientist, but he was no villain. History will vindicate him.
@@briteness tell that to Tesla
And he’s on the 100 dollar bill so he can pay for stuff
Imagine bringing one of these to your music lesson
Hahahahah ikr
gotta love hearing the camera man breathing
He was busting a fatass nut.
Manual breathing mode: engaged
Thats what happens when production runs out of money for the sound department.
May be he was turned on
My favorite part to that Mozart solo. That composer was a genius.
Would be a shame if someone dropped it...
Matthias Van Muylders monty python reference? haha
noooOoOOOOOOOOOOOO
To be fair, that's true of most instruments.
Actually, it's happened before. Iirc they were transporting one of the original Franklin armonicas to a museum and when it got there, most of the glass was broken from careless handling. I guess they replaced it? The glass actually can come off, I think.
*breaking glass in the distance * what?
I came here from watching genshin's livestream for version 4.0. What an amazing instrument!
Aha! I was looking for this comment 😂
If it wasn't from that live stream, i wouldn't know this exist. And amazing instrument indeed 🥺✨
omg samme!! XD
same...
Same! What an interesting instrument!
It didn't even occur to me that Mozart and Franklin were alive at the same time.
Fun fact, The Great Pyramid of Giza was built in 2,500BCE, and Cleopatra was queen around 50CE. So there was more time between the building of the Great Pyramid and Cleopatra's reign than there has been between her reign and present time.
Also, the Egyptian Empire existed at the same time as woolly mammoths. The last population of woolly mammoths known existed on a remote island off the coast of Siberia called Wrangel Island until about 2,000BCE. So they only died out about 4,000 years ago.
I love little factoids like this. Especially about history. It helps put the huge spans of time into perspective at least a little bit more.
Pablo Picaso was alive when man landed on the moon and even commented on it saying he didn't really care.
@@cartler Sounds like he would have gotten along with Neil Degrass Tyson.
Let's not forget the well known old Samurai, Abe Lincoln, Fax Machine existing concurrently thing too
That is amazing. Sounds somewhere between a flute and violin. I can't believe Mozart wrote a piece for Benjamin Franklin's own personal instrument. Talk about a collaboration of minds. If you stopped the axle from turning, you could play them all like a xylophone with some soft mallets
Flute and violin ... Hmmmm ... I don't hear that at all.
There are certain organ settings which use pipes that produce a sound like this on some historical pipe organs. That's much closer.
@@ems7623 well that’s because it’s between them! ;) idk, that’s how it struck me
@@TheChadPad it's okay man, i can hear what you mean. it's got both the kinda sharp kinda "bitterness" of a violin but sweeter, softer, and more "airy" like a flute.
@@charleswisconsin9196 Yeah there ya go that's what I mean
Mom: "Where are all of our glasses?"
Uncle Roy took them to play that dumb glass horn!
franklin : music sound great
The trill just blows me away, how he can get the right feel so quickly and then turn on and off so quickly. Even more amazing is how it sounds as continuous as a trill played on any string or wind instrument.
Lets goooo Fontaine!!! Thank you Genshin for introducing me to 2 new instruments I never knew existed.
the moment i also saw that instrument in that performence it caught my attention as well lol,it looked pretty and also soothing
what is the other
This needs to be used more for scores in horror movies. This thing can create some creepy sounds.
i think the theremin is more creepier
Was about to say this too😮😮😮
This could be used as the “happy” music for a horror movie
Yeah I think it’s a perfect instrument for a horror feel and some drama too
Look up Glass Harmoinca ussr creepiest film ever
The gold embellished glasses resemble the black keys on a piano, and the plain ones the white.
I’m no expert. I don’t play piano, but it looks like they are in the same order as a piano, ie, white, black, white, black, two whites, black white black white black white, , two whites and repeat. I wasn’t at all sure when I made my comment. But after your question, I went looking and discovered that I am right.
“After thirty years of experimentation, Finkenbeiner's imitative prototype consisted of clear glasses and glasses later equipped with gold bands mimicking late 18th-century designs. The historical instruments with gold bands indicated the equivalent of the black keys on the piano, simplifying the multi-hued painted bowl rims with white accidentals as specified by Franklin. Finkenbeiner Inc., of Waltham, Massachusetts, continues to produce versions of these instruments commercially as of 2014.”
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_harmonica
They all look gold to me
geespar1: do they still all look gold, even at 1:00? Can’t you see gold stripes on some of the glasses?
Patti Messenger yes I get it now, thanks for pointing this out 😊
...and instanly Burton Cummings of The Guess Who became the world's greatest glass armonicaist.
I could listen for hours - it sounds so BEAUTIFUL!!!
I didn't know that this instrument existed until I watched Genshin Impact 4.0 music livestream. Plus, I find the instrument to be alluring and I can't stop listening to Rondeau des fleur et des rapieres.
This is amazing, I saw this on Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) and it looked so cool
Lol yeah I saw this on Black Butler too and wanted to see if it really does drive people crazy
+Natalie Adams 😂 That would be scary if it did
I know this comment was like 4 years ago, but idc👽
Same ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ᵇᵗʷ
Ok this is kinda scary since I watched Black Butler I came here to see what it really sounds like and I absolutely hate the sound of this instrument, its sounds make my ears ring and head hurt like in the show 😣 you know minus the mind control thing
@@haleygloria6327 omg me too, the sound is going straight to my head idk how the guy is managing to play it. literally was watching the black butler episode about this armonica and got curious
I'm here cuz this guy's wife is my English teacher 😂😂😂...
nikolas macalma nice
Becuz you want to be crazy
Was she hot bro?
😂😂😂
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOLOLOL HAHAHAHA
It sounds absolutely beautiful, such a relaxing, unique tone
Its definitely unique , but not relaxing ,
@@CreativeEyePhotographyexactly
You are so right, it's unique. 🎶🎶🎶.
Not relaxing 😒🙄
I'm so sorry you feel that way, I wouldn't judge people by their opinions, I feel the same way about various types of music also, have a nice day. 🎶🎶🎶.
I remember being a young kid and seeing a musician playing one of these at downtown Disney and being completely blown away
Figures that Mozart would be cool enough to compose music particularly for this instrument. Love it!
It sounds like a mix of organ, bells, and glockenspiel
*glockenspiel*
Idk I just love the pronunciation.
@Pony Girl Pretty much a xylophone, minor differences.
From German:
Glocke(n) = bell(s)
Spiel = play / game
Funfact: it's named that way because it was used to tune the bells in churches.
Pronounced like the gun, Glock-N-shpeel
Just got here and already comments going nuts over the Genshin stream. This video about to explode! XD
In all seriousness, I've NEVER seen or heard of this before, this is actually really cool!
Came here after watching Genshin 4.0 orchestra. Also didn't know this was deemed illegal due to its purported link to mental illness and association to dark magic. It does sound earie.
Same, I was really curious what that instrument was, so I came here haha.. it's so astounding to see that these kinds of instruments exist.
yea it sounded pretty when i heard it in that battle theme,makes you feel like dancing with the enemies lol
Why am I here what am I doing I have like three test tomorrow and I haven't studied but I'm watching a video about a glass harmonica
Olivia Marrow how did your tests go?
Ya how it go
He failed then dropped out and became mad from listening to this glass harmonica..hahaha jk
*armonica
Your here because you want to learn new things
I saw such a Armonica here in the German Museum in Munich, Germany! Very interesting sound! I would love to play on this instrument once in my life ...
To Ho go to Boston a lady let me do in the streets with her
Oh my goodness. I am nearly 66 years old. I live in the UK. Music of many sorts has always been part of my life. My great grandfather was a pianist and had a beautiful voice. Sadly apart from singing in a schools choir, we were without sufficient funds for me to learn an instrument as such. I have one out of my three children who has the same love of music and plays the flute. However despite my love for music, never, ever have I heard of, seen or listened to this instrument. It’s truly beautiful. Can anyone please tell me if it is ever played in the UK, and if it’s possible to hear it being played? I would love to be able to go along and hear it being played. Thank you. Teresa.
the way i immediately searched for this after the genshin livestream!! one of the coolest instruments I've ever seen and its a perfect match for the nation of Hydro
This should be in a Legend of Zelda game.
Nick Raeff It already is. I’m playing it here in the year 2026.
and the Armonica of Space.
I was thinking that too! Maybe for the temple of time in ocarina of time?
It already is, the Forest Temple in ocarina of time has it in the background
Forest Temple
What a lovely and sweet sound! I had never heard of a glass harmonica or glass armonica until today. I was curious what instruments were used on "Carnival of the Animals" and just had to see what this was. Delightful!
Lovely performance. Thanks so much for uploading it, and it was lovely to be able to see you play as well. Way back in the eighties I went looking for Bruno Hoffmann's recording. I couldn't find it anywhere. I even braved the horrors of the Auckland City Public Library's LP collection. The young Chinese man behind the counter obviously didn't believe what I was asking for existed. After searching through thick volumes he finally found something that confirmed I was right and he was wrong, but he still couldn't help me. So in desperation I asked Radio New Zealand to play it for me. They said they didn't have it. I said the radio was the only place I could have heard it because I didn't know anybody else who loved Classical music. So they dug into their archives and (of course) found it. They played it for me, and before I knew it what I expected happened: other people were asking for other glass harmonica music.
Brilliant. Thanks you for recording this and sharing it. Love it. Great playing, too! Bless!
I'd love to have a play on one of these! Beautiful sound!
It sounds absolutely beautiful. Thank you for this video.
It sounds like we have entered some other dimension while listening this music because it is so deep and rhythm are so undefined
A very beautiful performance while most gain a headache from the Glass Armonica this was my first experience of hearing it, and it was actually very delightful.
This is so damn calming...
My favorite part to that Mozart solo is the mic crackling and the asthmatic breathing. Good job, sound operator.
The sounds from this are very centering and calming to me
Such an interesting piece of instrumentation ...and can be sweet music. I love the different musical instruments.
And for 2 minutes and 18 seconds, everything was okay
Sounds a bit like a church organ.
Would be interesting to hear some german christmas songs on it
Honestly, Harry Potter's main theme would sound wonderful on this. It feels like a very "enchanting" sound.
Id love to have this in my house instead of a piano how elegant and unique this piece is. Its something youd RARELY see anywhere love it
This is so fxckin amazing
Genshin Impact played this in their orchestra for Fontaine OST :D it's my first time to hear and know this
its nice to see that King Theoden picked up a new hobby after the battle of Gondor
Daamn... That sound is so mesmerising...
Absolutely beautiful!!..and so Ingenious!!♥
This sounds amazing !
What a great piece of artwork !
I must have a version guitar like to hang over the shoulder and plug in to a marshall stack a metalarmonica
I want to here the Dr. Who theme with the armonica.
or hear?
no he wants it here so he can hear
And with two full crystal glasses we say "Here here". Cheers.
wouldnt work, u would need the glissandi
@@futile9588 There are versions of the intro without the glissando, so there are precedents.
this is the most fascinating thing I've ever seen
Love this video so much! So soothing. Thanks!
Mr. Holmes told me to see this instrument
+Uchiage Takashi same here. Just moments ago when we parted ways.
+Uchiage Takashi haha, Im watching that now...and looked this up..
+Uchiage Takashi Hah same here
+Uchiage Takashi I'm watching now and here at same time.
Samezies
That thing was Amazing, Weird, but Amazing
Nothing dangerous in this music, relly good music 👌
That's good soothing for ears .... just loved this sound ...i will recommend all to use earphones and listen to it while sleeping for better sleep❤
I love weird unique instruments. I think this produces good sounds for some winter fantasy animations/games. Maybe even whimsical Halloween work.
Anyone here from the Genshin Impact 4.0 Special Program?
Me.
This sounds beautiful
Such a peaceful sound..🥰
Who else thought he would play the Harry Potter intro at some point?
ThePhoneBook123ABC hedwig’s theme is played on a cileste tho, a tiny piano which sounds like bells
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Who else here thought the OP would NEVER get married?
I was thinking Harry Potter too
Probably just the people that can't have 2 consecutive thoughts unrelated to Harry Potter. So basically the entire fandom? 🤔
got here beacuse just heard that enstrument makes people crazy😂
I feel crazy after listening to it for 3 minutes...
so here another one))
Enstrument gave me cancer.
I can understand why.
Zeynep Gergin *instrument
This is the instrument I've been looking for my whole life
Sounds magical! ☺😊
PoV: You came back here after Genshin 4.0 fontaine orchestra performance.
You read my mind
Are we so predictable??
No. I came from will.
I thought Mozart came before Franklin in terms of world history. Turns out Mozart was 50 years younger. Franklin was born only 57 years after Charles I's execution. That blows my mind for some reason.
I am actually blown by this
Yep. Franklin was also friends with Adam Smith and David Hume and frequented Enlightenment -era salons in Europe. A true legend.
When you look at the broader picture you realise how much overlap there is in history.
I’ve never felt so pure in my life.
Such a fascinating instrument.
I'm coming from the genshin stream lol
It's unfortunate the person behind the camera couldn't keep still, he/she created a lot of statically creepy sounds.
i guess the musician had a special charm we don't see on camera
It might have actually been the rotation of the instrument itself.
creepy? distracting maybe, but the guy was just existing. if that's creepy then well...
So Peaceful 💕
So cool!
I’m here for Black Butler. They said this instrument makes people’s heart confused. •_•
My version said it drove them insane??? Interesting-
1:47 Your English teacher Really got me with the breathing tho lol
It's so uncommon ❤
And peaceful also 😊
Gorgeous, Soul-Stirring Sound.
O som da harmônica é incrível . Não conhecia o instrumento,variante do sons de taças aos dedos
I drown when I was 8 years old & had an after death experience where I went to Heaven, this is what the music sounded like in Heaven! I listened for that sound again all my life & sometimes the violin produces it, as in Paganini's "Rhapsody on a Theme" but this is it absolutely!!! Now if someone would play "Rhapsody on a Theme" from "Somewhere in Time," the 1980 movie, on this glass harmonica, THAT would be the closest you could get ON EARTH to what Heaven sounds like!!!
I.C. White Heaven is your dream.
r/thathappened
Heaven is not real, neither god
@@boombya2556 He is.
@@fungaljungal I don't think if even god exists (It's only your imagination.) it has a gender.
Unique and gifted. Thanks
in the midst of utter sadness this is terribly uplifting thank you so much for posting this, my G-d does it help, bless you
this instrument is supposed to make you go insane
*but i love it*
Why do they say it's cursed I love this sound!
Loved the soud ❤
Very relaxing music 😊
Strangely the instrument produces a kind of "infra sound". Its been said that during prolonged performances many of the spectators would leave feeling dizzy, upset, hostile, and even cry for no discernible reason. Performers were also afflicted with headaches, nausea, and were said to grow more hostile, and erratic as they played. It wasn't only a few cases, but many, over a period of over 80+ years. It was an early recorded example of one the first times that such reactions from certain sounds were shown to have a negative effect on the body. So much so that in certain places the instrument was banned from being played.
I find it quite soothing but I guess in the long run it could start to bother me because of the high pitch.
@@vaderladyl Plus I think hearing it in person might be different than hearing it from most speakers/headphones. Maybe it's possible to listen to electronically without the 'infrasound.'
@@TheAnhedonicOne That is a good theory.
Oh louco! Que belo e profundo som instrumental 😱😍
Unique Sound, Nicely played.
I have watched this 10 times in a row now… i think it’s doing something to me…
I came from 'Genshin'
me too
love how some of us came here after genshin's 4.0 livestream! XD i love learning new instruments!
Wow so amazing!
How soothing