It’s the 1760s. A strange new instrument is sweeping European high society. The man who invented it? A Philadelphian. Let’s learn more in my 150th(!!!!) Headlines of Yore thread… Starting with a headline from the March 15 London Public Advertiser in 1762: “The Armonica.”
That headline advertised an upcoming performance by a young musician named Marianne Davies. This was no ordinary performance, however, as Davies had recently debuted a new instrument: the armonica.
Despite the linguistic similarities, the armonica is NOT a cousin of the harmonica. It is, however, a cousin of the glass harp. And that’s an instrument you might recognize.
The glass harp consists of an arrangement of wine glasses that create different pitches (either by adjusting the water or the glasses themselves) The musician coaxes sound from the glasses by rubbing the rims (typically with moistened fingers).
In the mid-18th-century, a Philadelphian visiting England saw an acquaintance playing the glass harp. And that triggered a thought: Could this same instrument be arranged more efficiently so that the instrumentalist didn’t have to move from glass to glass?
Thus, the armonica was born.
The armonica features glass bowls, of varying thickness, arranged horizontally on a single rod. The rod connects to a foot pedal which causes the bowls to rotate.
The musician moistens his or her fingers, contacts the spinning bowls…and…voila: you’ve got music. And not just any music, but a delicate, buzzy sound that feels akin to the flute…if it were played by a bumblebee.
When Marianne Davies played this instrument for London audiences in 1762, it was a hit. With Davies’ help, the armonica spread through the courts of Europe. According to author William Zeitner, Davies even taught a young Marie Antoinette how to play it.
Some of the age’s great composers wrote music for the armonica — including Beethoven and Mozart. There’s even a theory that Beethoven got lead poisoning from the armonica (although it’s never been substantiated as far as I know).
In the 1800s, glass music fell out of favor. Today, the armonica is little more than a novelty — remembered only by a handful of enthusiasts.
The same cannot be said for the Philadelphian who invented this unusual instrument. You may have even guessed his name: Benjamin Franklin.
Yes, THAT Benjamin Franklin. Philadelphia’s great colonial polymath happened to invent a popular musical device made of glass bowls. He also refused to patent it, ensuring that he’d never make a dime off the armonica.
Said Franklin: “As we enjoy great Advantages from the Inventions of others we should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any Invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.”
Originally posted by Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) on March 15 2024.
