Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and the glass harp – if ever a piece of music and an instrument were made for each other… I gained a new appreciation and a different perspective on this familiar work.
The glass harp, invented in 1741 by the Irishman Richard Pockrich, consists of crystal goblets of varying size with water in them. Their unbelievably sweet tones inspired Benjamin Franklin to invent the glass harmonica in 1761, using nested glass bowls.
There is a wealth of information available on Robert Tiso’s site, which I strongly recommend, including tutorials on making and tuning a glass harp.
Please enjoy Robert Tiso playing the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.