Glass (H)armonica

[Paul Mackin]

This morning's Washington Post reports the following on the Saturday
evening National Symphony Orchestra Mozart Summer Festival
performance:

Saturday's concert touched on chamber works, beginning with an
oddity, the Adagio and Rondo in C Minor for glass harmonia,
flute, oboe,  viola and cello, K. 617. The glass harmonica--water
filled cognac glasses played by rubbing a moistened finger around
the rim--produces weird, otherworldly sounds, an 18th Century
equivalent of the electronic instruments (Theremin or Ondes
Martenot) used by composers in our century . . . 


                                        P.