Seattle man working to keep endangered instrument alive

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SEATTLE - In a small lobby at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, William Zeitler struggles to keep a musical instrument alive.

His audience is anybody passing through, willing to stop and listen.

“I sat down for a minute but I don't want to leave. It's wonderful,” said one person.

"I've never heard anything like it. It's just gorgeous. It's beautiful," said another.

It's called the glass armonica. Invented by Ben Franklin 250 years ago, it's a truly American instrument. Even Mozart and Beethoven wrote music for it.

“In the early 19th century it basically vanished, and it’s been on the endangered instrument list ever since,” says Zeitler.

There's no real explanation for its decline.

In its early days, some people suspected its eerie sound made listeners sick - or insane.

More likely it fell victim to the rising popularity of orchestras.

Only about 24 glass armonicas survive, says Zeitler, whose one-man crusade is caught in a vicious circle. There are few players, no instruments, few teachers, no students - and very little music.

So he's doing something about it.

In his home studio he composes his own music, adapts rock tunes ... you name it.

And Zeitler can also teach just about anyone.

But there are no students because there are none of the glass-bowl instruments for them to play.

So Zeitler is going to make them.

Every Monday he blows glass in a Seattle studio.

He's just learning and it's a struggle. He hopes by the end of the year to have his first one made.

"It will be opus one. It'll be a little rough. But it should play, and opus two will be that much better," says Zeitler.

Zeitler is realistic about his work.

"Would the world notice if it were gone? Probably not, but it would be a little poorer I think,” he says.

Zeitler paid more than $10,000 for his instrument, built by a man who is no longer living.

Zeitler hopes to build armonicas that sell for $3,000 or $4,000, but he admits they'll never be cheap.

Source

-- Cherri (jessam6@home.com), August 07, 2001

Answers

What, Kurzweil can't do this with a synthesizer? It's just a bunch of frequencies for chrissake.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), August 07, 2001.

Lars,

What, Kurzweil can't do this with a synthesizer? It's just a bunch of frequencies for chrissake.

Kurzweil reads this forum. Are you trying to make Kurzweil cry? Are you? Well, mission accomplished.

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), August 07, 2001.


My kid's orchestra teacher just had a gig adding a bagpipe track to something that had all the rest of the tracks using synthesized instruments. The guy said he could get decent facsimiles of all the other instruments, but that the bagpipe synthesis didn't work.

One of the joys of the armonica is watching it, seeing the hands pull the sounds out. Home crafted, human-powered music has some advantages that its competition doesn't have.

-- Firemouse (benandme@phil.adelphia), August 07, 2001.


A bass armonica, a tenor armonica, a saw and a bagpipe make an exciting fine-arts quartet.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), August 07, 2001.

In 'ampshire, 'urricanes 'ardley 'appen. I like to play that on my 'armonica.

-- ('enry 'iggins@liza.doolittle's), August 07, 2001.


Audio samples may be downloaded from Mr. Zeitler's site, http://www.glassarmonica.com.

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), August 08, 2001.

Hello ... Dave

:-)

-- (for_your @ listening. pleasure), August 08, 2001.


sorry :-)

-- (for_your @ listening. pleasure), August 08, 2001.

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