The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-09-12
A New Musical Instrument.

At the Duchess of Saldanha's reception,
the other day, the Chevalier Fursado-
Coelho introduced his new musical instu-
meut, the copophone. AS implied by the
name, derived from the Portuguese and
Greek words for ''glass" and sound" it
thirty two wine glasses and tumblers of
various sizes. These are affixed to . sound
ingboard beneath by means of telescope
brass tubes, 80 arranged as to gring all
their edges to the same level. The in
strument comprises two octaves complete,
with shsrps and fats, and six additional
notes in duplicate for the convenience of
the performer The method of playing on
the copophone consists merely of passing
the wetted tips of the fingers over the
edges of the glasses, but it would be diff
cult to give any adequate idea of the brill
liAncy and sweetness of the sounds pro-
duced, which approach more nearly, per-
haps, 20 those of the human voice than
any other instrument. The chevalier eX-
ecuted several brilliant ntorceduS, accom-
panied by the piano, in a manner that once
proclaimed him a first class musician.
Nothing could exceed the beauty of his
rendering of the "Casta diva" which he
was compelled to repeat in answer to the
prolonged applause. Sir Julius Benedict,
who was present, expressed his unQuall-
fed admiration of the excellence of the
performance, and the thorough efficiency of
the instrument, for which long career of
popularity may be confidently predicted.
The appearance Of the instrument, says
another account, is quaint, and the man
ner in which musical sounds are obtained
still more curious. The thirty-two drink
ing glasses, of all kinds, tumblers, hook
and claret glasses, selected without regard
to shape or kind, but in view of purity and
accuracy of sound, are set with the greatest
care on q sounding board . round of gut
ta percha is placed under each glass 90 as
to isolate it from the wood, and likewise
the screws which make the glasses fast to
the board are garnished with felt. These
precautions are taken with the view of pre-
serving the crystalline purity of the notes
which can be obtained from the glasses by
The player. On each side of the instrument
are two small basins filed with water for
the executant TO dip his fingers in during
the execution of o piece. Seen as whole,
it 10 difficult to imagine how concerted
pieces can be played on an instrument so
quaint and in appearance so incomplete.
The notes of each of the glasses are, how
ever, beautiful, and possess enough acous-
tic force to fill q concert hall. M. de Fur
tado COelho, who plays on the copophone
which he has invented, obtains each note
by turning a wet finger with more or less
rapidity around the edge of each glass /;
thus he can increase or pTolOng the note at
pleasure, and give it almost every shade of
expression. In power of expression the
notes of the copophone bear much resem-
blance to those of the violin as also in the
latter instrument, double notes can be OBJ
tanned, and, in the hands of the inventor
and executant, every description of rapid
and difficult execution seems to be within
the scope of the cOpophone. This of course
is not the, first Instrument that has hith-
erto been invented in which glasses are
used as q medium of sound bat none are
to be compared to the present one, being,
in fact, rather curiOsities than real musi.
cal instruments. The inventor of the
copophOne seems to think that it could be-
come an important instrument, not only
in the concert-roOm bnt also 10 the or
chestra, aud his claim certainly appears
worthy of the consideration Of competent
judges. N. do Furtado. CoelhO's greatest
difficulty In constructing his instrument
has been the selection of proper and ct
glasses very few, it seems, possess musi-
cal resonance, and when they doit ie only
by mere. chance.
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