Link (via Instapundit)
"Rather than tapping the strings, as a harpsichord would, this instrument, called the viola organista, lowers the strings onto spinning wheels which are wrapped in horse hair. This acts as a bow would on a violin. The resulting sound gives the impression of a group of string instruments. The project took Zubrzycki 3 years and 5,000 hours to complete."
15 comments:
First!
OK, I'm hearing a stringed instrument but not a several sawing away in unison. There's a certain resonance lacking.
Cool machine though. Why didn't anyone build one sooner?
Regards, Cliff
Bravo!
They have been built for years under the name hurdy-gurdy.
This was posted over at Insta half a day ago, and various things were pointed out. Lack of dynamics, bad writing in the original article and so on.
I got to reflecting on my own upbringing. Fifty years ago my father bought a house and filled it with his extensive collection of musical instruments, including, but not limited to two grand pianos, a forte-piano from the late 18th century, a clavichord, a pump organ and a harpsichord. I played them all as a callow youth, and got to know much about keyboard instruments. I found that article to be weak on several factual points.
That said, I am more than underwhelmed with the sound of that thing. And the fruit playing it is, well, fruity. Dude, simmer down, keep your upper body still, your weaving makes Ray Charles look low key, and hell, he was blind, he couldn't see what he looked like.
Thank goodness Jerry Lee Lewis was understated in his playing mannerisms. Now there was a role model for proper piano playing.
Dude, simmer down, keep your upper body still, your weaving makes Ray Charles look low key, and hell, he was blind, he couldn't see what he looked like.
LOL!
Needs more cowbell.
Harpsichords don't tap the strings, they pluck them.
He's not playing anything that couldn't be played on a viola da gamba, which is essentially a guitar played with a bow. In particular has frets so chords are easy.
Not being into art, I did enjoy the da Vinci Museum in Florence that has many of his inventions displayed.
Goodness gracious. Great balls of horse hair.
I was hoping the guy would start peddling and the thing would take off.
You can see things like this at House On The Rock. And if you pop in a token, they will even play.
I've walked thru the House on the Rock. Terrifying.
After you walk out to the infinity room, the coolness ends. It gets weirder and weirder and you cannot exit and your legs are tired. So much stuff. I've never seen so many carpeted ramps and walk-ways ever. The doll room(s) were especially eerie. Or did I dream it?
Well, if you like a dolorous sound I guess it's alright.
Evi w/ a House on the Rock reference. For you non Cheeseheads, House on the Rock is an eclectic well..house on a rock in spring Green, WI. It is near the Frank Lloyd Wright house.
Spring Green is a beautiful little spot in Wisconsin. A tour of the Frank LLoyd Wright house is worth it. House on the Rock? ...not so much. It's a mad dusty collection of stuff, hidden in dark passage-ways and strange windowless rooms. Fake main-street brick paths turn into carpeted madness. As you approach the carousel (which is actually amazing) the automatic drum machine pulses like a bad dream.
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