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Volume I
Issue 4
16 August 1999 |
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Heavenly Crystal Music by Celia Johnson
"If
these are the sounds that one hears in Heaven, I am reserving my place
immediately." This response from a European priest is typical of
the reactions of many listeners to the ethereal sound of an unusual
musical instrument called the Glass Armonica. Playing on a unique re-creation of this instrument made from thirty-five quartz crystal bowls, Yatri, a Berkshire, Massachusetts musician, is part of a revival of this American musical invention by Benjamin Franklin. In its heyday this celestial sounding instrument drew the enthusiastic attention of such people as Thomas Jefferson, Niccolo Paganini, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Marie Antoinette, not to mention Wolfgang Mozart and the famed hypnotist Anton Mesmer. However the armonica had become extinct by 1830. Why the instrument disappeared is not clear. Was it because of its fragility or did the hypnotist Mesmer's use of the armonica with his clients give it a bad name? Rumors that some of the players suffered nervous tremors may have caused its demise although modern theorists suggest that any illness in performers could have been caused by the lead that was used in the early glass bowls.
Yatri was first introduced to the sound of glass music by Eric Cadesky of Toronto's Glass Orchestra. Fascinated by the sound of crystals and by the history of the instrument, Yatri had her armonica specially built for her in 1989 by master glass blower Gerhard Finkenbeiner. Canadian inventor Oscar Bookbinder helped in the reconstruction using the original design plans of Benjamin Franklin with some modern adaptations. Aside from the angelic sound of the instrument, one of the things that drew Yatri to the armonica is the effect it has physically on the body. "Playing it puts me in a kind of altered state, giving me the same feeling as a deep state of meditation. Most of the listeners I have played for tell me that they also feel that way upon hearing it. Something very special happens with harmonic overtones when playing different pitches together on these crystals." She has often been invited to create meditative ambient music for the guest programs at the Lenox, Massachusetts Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. While she has an extensive background in classical music, and although there were many classical pieces written for the instrument during the peak of its popularity from 1775 to 1785, Yatri prefers to improvise with this instrument. She especially loves to extemporize with other artists and has provided improvised music for Toronto dancer/choreographer Peter Chin, for New York jazz pianist Rebecca Kane, for poet Bob Rose, for actress Olivia Woodford, and for Israeli musician Ora Bat Chaim. Yatri's crystal music has also been heard in soundtracks for theater and film. Her CD, called Crystal Spirit, an album of improvised meditative music, created to provide a gentle ambiance for contemplation and deep relaxation, has received international attention both musically and medically. Scientists in California and in Germany are experimenting with the positive effect of her music on the nervous system, including its use for insomnia relief. About the artist: Yatri's musical career includes ten years of international touring as a classical concert pianist with the Canadian chamber music ensemble Camerata, and teaching on the faculties of three universities. To contact Yatri, send email to yatri@crystalmusic.com. To order CD's by Yatri: About the author: Celia Johnson is a freelance writer, specializing in topics in the humanities and the healing arts. |
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