# Hear Rare Idiophones



## Enthalpy

Hello dear friends!

I propose to link pictures, descriptions... and *hearing samples of unusual idiophones* in this thread.

Other threads exist already for double reeds, single reeds, brass, strings, and more can come for whatever is desired.

==========

The *lithophone* has resonating bars of stone, while the marimba uses wood and the vibraphone metal. It has tubes to amplify the sound, or a box, or nothing. Examples abound in the Net, with varied designs and results. This single one has a light-year advance
iJJQFwkhyjQ​notice the distinct stone sound, the long sustain, the uniform sound across the wide range. It results from tenacious and enlightened research
steinmusik.ch​explanations, more instruments, and sounds
gi3vcun-Y0E (the language is Schwyzerdütsch if you wonder)​
Other manufacturer, nice sound too:
6DESaw8w1pA​
==========

The *txalaparta* has bars of wood, stone or metal struck with makilak (thick vertical sticks) often by two musicians, and it's typically Basque, good opportunity to hear the language too.
wikipedia
cX0Gg33GIuw at 0:16​the Maika and Sara Gomez twins are celebrities in Spain
PLSng6Cyv-o at t=9 (also stone and metal)
505x6YgAgyc​
==========

The *balafon* has wooden resonators amplified by calabashes or sometimes a box. Record here:
kUEmLcbBZ0s​A different sound from an other country:
kHaeTGph2Ow at t=15 luthier baragnouma.com​The scale can be pentatonic, diatonic… I heard in the Paris metro a fantastic musician whose scale wasn't a subset of the equal-tempered one. And here's even a chromatic design:
--Alu0-t6Dc at 1:35​


----------



## Enthalpy

The *célesta* has a keyboard and hammers like a piano to strike high-pitched metal bars placed over tuned air resonators. Many symphony orchestras have one, but it's not very common.

A nice web address to hear a célesta
celesta-schiedmayer.de​at the website of one manufacturer - there aren't so many. Also pictures and explanations there.

One other manufacturer
glockenspiel-lippert.de​and Wiki alleges Yamaha produces some too.

A third-dozen more companies have existed, including the inventor's one, Mustel. Some instruments subsist, from Jenco among others; the design differs much among the manufacturers.

Other nice address:
vsl.co.at​


----------



## Enthalpy

The *dulcitone* is older than the celesta, with the last ones built a century ago
wikipedia​it has metal forks rather than steel plates, and the forks vibrate a soundboard over an elastic metal sheet, while the celesta has a resonating air tube for each note (originally for note pairs).

The second resonator takes its time to reach full amplitude on the celesta, giving the soft attack typical of the celesta, marimba and vibraphone, while the attack is direct on the dulcitone, the biggest audible difference.

The dulcitone lacks badly sound strength, probably what let abandon it, but I don't see any reason except bad design to be less loud than a piano.

Hear it there:
28nMONwXX1w - bbp3eYqE0bY at 0:38 - Q1WGk5IYCHk - nAYQ5sa51SY - _1bnA8pmNGo at 0:18​and few more.


----------



## david johnson

...waiting for someone to ask about the Idiotphone  Have you heard the ice-drummers on the frozen lakes in Siberia? You Tube has some recordings of them.


----------



## Enthalpy

The *glass armonica or harmonica*
wikipedia​is rare enough that most videos are descriptions. Music here:
RUTAF0Qx-7o - _XPfoFZYso8 - l8JfJumIXSQ (1h) -
4LP8QFR9Qvc - eQemvyyJ--g​
The arrangement of glasses was to favour virtuosity, but this is nearly lost.

==========

The *glass harp*
wikipedia​should logically be more difficult, but it has impressive players.
xNFFJ5lG4HA at 55s - 9iSsaKnPmLM at 42s Petr Spatina​3rmFleYqNxw - FkjGkvPwdrw - 8j07ZBdjJiw Glassduo​7aLlvkxfUL4 - EgoaehDEBrU - UCFAQLdXDNXudL2yvGiuYcRQ Robert Tiso​
While many musicians seem to select standard wine glasses, a manufacturer produces and tunes glasses
glassharp.eu​


----------



## Enthalpy

Saint-Saëns wanted a glass harmonica for his _Carnaval des animaux_ in the Aquarium and Final. Performers replace the exceedingly rare and faint instrument with a glockenspiel, whose brutal attacks differ strongly from the glass harmonica. Bowed percussions would be too slow from what I heard. I propose to use instead an *amplified glass harp* to hear finally the music as it was meant.
Glass harmonica - Glockenspiel - Glass harp at wikipedia​
Glass harp virtuosos could play the part but they are scarce
Talkclassical (previous message here)​I propose to *arrange the glasses for the Carnaval*, so more musicians can play it, perhaps percussionists or violinists after some days practice.

[Click for full size]








21 glasses make this arrangement where the part's fast notes are in columns. Maybe four E for the right hand should accompany the C-B-A-G# at left. All rims at the same height helps. If rubbing tangentially, a row for one finger can be spread at right and left to be more compact. If rubbing across the rim, the glasses in a row could be tilted to expose only one rim side.

I tried to play one random glass, just round with a stem, rather thick, unleaded. A violin bow makes a sour sound that starts slowly, so wet fingers are the choice. Rubbing across the rim starts the sound quickly but with noises, tangentially is nicer where possible. I didn't achieve the needed quick starts in half an hour but this was improving quickly. Reliability improved slower. The loudness compares with a recorder, so amplify.

Many glass harpists use wine glasses tuned with water. The selection must take some time. Or buy glasses optimised and tuned from
glassharp.eu​however, 21 glasses cost some 1500€ on their 2021 price list. Maybe several groups can share the special glass harp, or a company can own and rent it
talkclassical​
Marc Schaefer, aka Enthalpy


----------



## NoCoPilot

Enthalpy said:


> The *glass armonica or harmonica*
> wikipedia​is rare enough that most videos are descriptions. Music here:
> RUTAF0Qx-7o - _XPfoFZYso8 - l8JfJumIXSQ (1h) -
> 4LP8QFR9Qvc - eQemvyyJ--g​
> The arrangement of glasses was to favour virtuosity, but this is nearly lost.
> 
> ==========
> 
> The *glass harp*
> wikipedia​should logically be more difficult, but it has impressive players.
> xNFFJ5lG4HA at 55s - 9iSsaKnPmLM at 42s Petr Spatina​3rmFleYqNxw - FkjGkvPwdrw - 8j07ZBdjJiw Glassduo​7aLlvkxfUL4 - EgoaehDEBrU - UCFAQLdXDNXudL2yvGiuYcRQ Robert Tiso​
> While many musicians seem to select standard wine glasses, a manufacturer produces and tunes glasses
> glassharp.eu​


I have a collection of glass harmonica recordings, maybe twenty of them. It's a wonderful sound, unlike any other. In addition to "musical wineglasses" there is the Glass Armonica invented by Ben Franklin, which was used by such composers as Mozart, Reichart, Rölllig and Naumann. Contemporary performers include Donal Hinely and Dennis James.


----------



## NoCoPilot

To your collection of instruments I would add the wonderful waterphone.


----------



## NoCoPilot

And Hans Reichel's wonderful Daxophone.


----------

