Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:
“With spirited charm, Mead weaves history, music, science, and medicine into the story...Fascinating, insightful, and, best of all, great fun.” —The Washington Post

A jewel of musical history—the story of Ben Franklin’s favorite invention, the glass armonica—including the composers who wrote for it (Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, among others); Dr. Mesmer who used it to hypnotize; Marie Antoinette and the women who popularized it; its decline and recent comeback.

Benjamin Franklin is renowned for his landmark inventions, including bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the lightning rod. Yet his own favorite invention—the one he said gave him the “greatest personal satisfaction”—is unknown to the general public. The glass armonica, the first musical instrument invented by an American, was constructed of stacked glass bowls and played by rubbing one’s fingers on the rims. It was so popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries that Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, and Strauss composed for it; Marie Antoinette and numerous monarchs played it; Goethe and Thomas Jefferson praised it; Dr. Franz Mesmer used it for his hypnotizing Mesmerism sessions. Franklin himself played it for George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

In Angelic Music, Corey Mead describes how Franklin’s instrument fell out of popular favor, partly due to claims that its haunting sounds could drive musicians out of their minds. Some players fell ill, complaining of nervousness, muscle spasms, and cramps. Audiences were susceptible; a child died during a performance in Germany. Some thought its ethereal tones summoned spirits or had magical powers. It was banned in some places. Yet in recent years, the armonica has enjoyed a revival. Composers are writing pieces for it in genres ranging from chamber music and opera to electronic and pop music. Now Mead brings this instrument back to the public eye, telling the compelling, fascinating story of its origins.

Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica by Corey Mead

From reader reviews:

Michael Harmon:

This Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica book is not ordinary book, you have after that it the world is in your hands. The benefit you receive by reading this book is definitely information inside this guide incredible fresh, you will get facts which is getting deeper anyone read a lot of information you will get. This Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica without we understand teach the one who studying it become critical in considering and analyzing. Don't possibly be worry Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica can bring any time you are and not make your handbag space or bookshelves' grow to be full because you can have it in your lovely laptop even cell phone. This Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica having fine arrangement in word and layout, so you will not really feel uninterested in reading.

Stephan Partin:

This book untitled Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica to be one of several books that will best seller in this year, this is because when you read this e-book you can get a lot of benefit into it. You will easily to buy this book in the book retail store or you can order it by way of online. The publisher of this book sells the e-book too. It makes you quicker to read this book, because you can read this book in your Touch screen phone. So there is no reason for your requirements to past this publication from your list.

Sharon Clayton:

Playing with family in a very park, coming to see the sea world or hanging out with close friends is thing that usually you might have done when you have spare time, subsequently why you don't try issue that really opposite from that. 1 activity that make you not experiencing tired but still relaxing, trilling like on roller coaster you are ride on and with addition of knowledge. Even you love Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica, it is possible to enjoy both. It is excellent combination right, you still want to miss it? What kind of hangout type is it? Oh come on its mind hangout fellas. What? Still don't understand it, oh come on its referred to as reading friends.

Loren Hatmaker:

Reading a reserve make you to get more knowledge from the jawhorse. You can take knowledge and information originating from a book. Book is published or printed or descriptive from each source that will filled update of news. Within this modern era like today, many ways to get information are available for anyone. From media social including newspaper, magazines, science guide, encyclopedia, reference book, story and comic. You can add your understanding by that book. Are you hip to spend your spare time to spread out your book? Or just seeking the Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica when you necessary it?