Académie Desprez

Proposed project for a musical composition for glassharmonica and recorded electronics created with the sound of Drottningholm Slottsteater's wind and thunder machinery

Rémy-Michel Trotier
April 2000

The glassharmonica

Glassharmonica of recent manufacture

Source : http://www.chez.com/thomasbloch/

A demand for works for the glassharmonica.

Invented in 1761 by Benjamin Franklin, the glassharmonica is a musical instrument, which works on the principle of wet glass being rubbed with fingers. It is made up of a series of glass bowls encased within each other that turn around on a horizontal axis; the interpreter rubs the bowls with his wet fingers, which makes the glass vibrate

The instrument fell into disuse in the XIX^th century. One superstitious reason put forward for this was that the sound played on the nerves of the listeners (perhaps a supernatural influence?) and for this reason it was banned by the police in Germany at the beginning of the XIX^th century. In reality, however, the glassharmonica's progressive decline was more likely to have been caused by the increased size of the concert venues and the comparative lightness of the sound to carry in such auditoria.

It has therefore long been considered that the glassharmonica could no longer play a part as a solo instrument, but it has undergone a renaissance in the years since 1980. This has largely been brought about through the rediscovery of the original repertory of works and also through its atmospheric use in film music. Significantly, the master glassmaker, Gerhard Finkenbeiner has restarted production of the glassharmonica and some hundred instruments have been now been manufactured. Today, many amateurs play this instrument, rediscovering a many of the 400 pieces composed between 1761 and 1835.

In France, the glassharmonica has found an exceptional interpreter: Thomas Bloch is one of the two only professional glassharmonicists in the world. He regularly presents this ancient instrument, whose revival he sustains, through his concerts. He also participates in the festival that takes place in Philadelphia, native city of the instrument’s inventor, Benjamin Franklin. This festival gathers, every three years, attracting music lovers and amateur interpreters fascinated by the glassharmonica. For each of these festivals, Thomas Bloch presents contemporary works commissioned for the occasion

Playing two other equally rare instruments of the XX^th century, the Cristal Baschet and the Ondes Martenot, Thomas Bloch is one of these virtuosi that do not undertake the practice of their art without strong links to the contemporary creation. In this spirit, Thomas Bloch has made a plea for contemporary works for glassharmonica or glassharmonica and electronics; selected pieces are presented during of the festival in Philadelphia.

This project of a new musical piece for glassharmonica and electronics, Des Orages, aims to answer his demand for works.

Putting together the harmonica and the sounds of Drottningholm