William traces the history of the Glass Armonica — a musical instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin that works on the 'wet finger around the wine glass rim' idea. It was very popular in Franklin's day — even Mozart and Beethoven composed for it. But in the early 19th century, it faded into near oblivion. Even today, there are only a dozen or so professional players worldwide.
Part of the mystique of the glass armonica is glass itself, which has its own fascinating story, so William begins there. Then he traces the rise of the 'musical glasses' — sets of wine glasses tuned with water. Galileo figures prominently! Then the armonica itself — its rise and demise.
William says: "The story of the musical glasses and the glass armonica is far stranger than I could have imagined. Not only was it invented by one of humanity's finest minds, but it features a rather extraordinary cast of characters:
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Franz Mesmer: who used his glass armonica to 'mesmerize' his patients
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Anne Ford: a talented aristocratic woman who used her musical glasses to escape an unwanted marriage
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Richard Pockeridge: a ne'er-do-well inventor — mocked in his day for outlandish ideas like 'ships built of steel' — who arguably invented the musical glasses as we know them today
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Marianne Kirchgaessner: a blind glass armonica virtuosa whom Mozart heard, inspiring him to compose music for her in the last year of his life
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"The Great Belzoni": who began as a circus strongman and musical glasses player, and ended up becoming an important Egyptologist
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E.G. Robertson: outside of Paris around 1800, Robertson would lead his audience to descend into an abandoned crypt. There he would display fantastic images with the newly invented slide projector — including cross-fades and zooming that made the images move (the first cinema?!), all accompanied by the eerie glass armonica
The story of glass music in general, and the glass armonica in particular, spans centuries and continents, weaving together science, music, and mystery. Whether you are a musician, a history lover, or simply curious about the strange byways of human creativity, this book will open your ears — and your imagination — to a world you never knew existed.