Talk:Glass harp

From glass harmonica

Some information taken from glass harmonica after it was confused for this instrument:

The phenomenon of rubbing a wet finger around the rim of a wine goblet to produce tones is documented back to Renaissance times; Galileo considered the phenomenon (in his Two New Sciences), as did Athanasius Kircher.

Glass harmonica being played in Rome, Italy. The rims of wine glasses filled with water are rubbed by the player's fingers to create the notes.

a set of wine glasses (usually tuned with water) is generally known in English as "musical glasses" or "glass harp".

It can also be referred to as a "ghost fiddle".

The Irish musician Richard Puckeridge is typically credited as the first to play a such glasses (see angelic organ) by rubbing his fingers around the rims. Beginning in the 1740s, he performed in London on a set of upright goblets filled with varying amounts of water. During the same decade, Christoph Willibald Gluck also attracted attention performing in England on a similar instrument.

Angelic organ

• An add about a cleaning product used plates and cups in the style of a glass harmonica.
• Sandra Bullock's character plays a glass harmonica as her initial talent in the move Miss Congeniality, though after her fellow contestants drink the water out of the glasses, she must find a new one.
• The Mayer from The Powerpuff Girls plays a glass harmonica in an episode in his office.
• A television commercial for Bombay Sapphire Gin featured a man playing a Christmas carol on a set of upright glasses presumably tuned with Bombay gin.

-- kenb215 talk 17:39, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

The phrase "well-loved carols come to life" is breathless marketing speak which could be improved only by the addition of an exclamation mark. Have amended to "well-known carols are performed'. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.167.227.4 (talk) 14:56, 28 April 2011 (UTC)

References