The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-11-27

Errors" says that the instrument Is
called a Jews Harp by Hakluyt. Bacon
called it "jeu-trumpe' while 'jeu-
trump" is used by Beaumont and
Fletcher. In Balley's Dictionary Q7S3)
will be found "Jewsharp an instru-
ment OF muslcll"; the substitution OF
harp" commonly for trump" is APP
parently a later growth, although, of
course, HalSluyt points to an early use
In all probability the French origin of
the term is the correct one, and Jaws
harp" may have been the matter-of-
fact name invented by the country folk
among whom it circulated may be
through the efforts of the chapman
and the pacllman. Brewer is very brief
on the subject; he confines himself to
the statement that "the best players ON
this instrument have been Koch,
Prussian soldier under Frederick the
Great Kunert, Amstein, and some
Others" He makes no mention of
Eulenstein, who may be said to have
been the master Of all players,
The celebrated Stephanie, Felicite,
Countess de Genlis, in her Memoirs"
tells us a great deal about Koch, the
German player, which is worth record
ing This soldier, who is described as
a musician" was in the service of
Frederick the Great, and being fond of
relieving the tedium of sentry go, he
used to practice on the Jews harp
with considerable skill One night
Frederick, who was an amateur mus
clan, heard what he thought was dis
tinct orchestra under his window, when
he discovered that the sounds came
from one of his privates. Surprised on
learning that such wonderful effects
could be produced by a single man
with two Jews -harps he ordered the
player into his presence. He was duly
presented to the king the following
morning, and performed to the delight
and satisfaction of his Majesty, who
rewarded Koch with fifty dollars and
gave him his discharge that he might
devote his time and attention to the
advance of his talent Koch had not the
slightest knowledge of music, but owed
his ability to natural taste and instinct.
He made quite a fortune travelling
about and performing in public and
private, and retired to Vienna, where he
lived until long past the age of eighty.
IlC hlSu dUOuG lOou liz uS6Q lNO llebl pS
at once in the same manner as the
peasants of the Tyrol," and produced
without doubt the harmony of two
note S struck at the same moment,
which was considered by the unsteady
curious as somewhat extraordinary,
when the limited powers of the instru-
nlent were remembered. Herr Koch had
a fine idea of theatrical effect, for it
was his custom to require that all the
lights should be extinguished in order
that the Illusion produced by his play
ing might be increased.
Another German, a peasant and
herdsman named Eulenstein, about the
beginning of this century devoted his
attention to the cultivation Of the
Jews harp, softening and enriching the
tone of his ''twanging" instrument into
almost perfect harmony. Indeed, Eulen-
stein acquired a musical reputation
from the way he manipulated this mea-
gre and not over agreeable instrument.
The Jews harp, usually despised and
ignored, possesses three different tones;
the bass tones of the first octave have
some resemblance to those of the flute
and clarinet; those of the middle and
high to the vox humana of some organs
lastly, the harmonica1 sounds are exact
,ly like those of the harmonica. 1t is con-
Iceived that this diversity of tone, quotes
the Mirror (1S27, affords already a
great variety in the execution, which is
always looked upon as being feeble and
trifling on account of the smallness of
the instrument 1t was not thought pos
sible to derive much pleasure from any
attempt which could be made to con-
quer the difficulties of so limited an in
strument; because, in the extent of
three octaves there We're a number of
spaces which could not be filled up by
the talent of the player Besides, the
most ample modulati ton is impossible.
Herr Eulenstein remedied the incon-
venience by joining sixteen Jews harps
which he tuned in his own special way,
and so performed his selection by
changing the harpS with some rapidity,
always keeping one harp in advance,
so as not to interrupt the measure. He
became so proficient that he was able
to execute, with grace and ease, run
ming over four octaves many quite diff
cult Italian, French, and German
pieces. He was induced by the Duke of
Gordon in 1928, who was delighted with
his performances, to tour in Scotland,
where the Jews harp is still rather pop
ular. Eulenstein also visited the chief
towns of England, and drew crowds to
hear his novel entertainment in London.
1T is presumed that he returned to his
own country about 1882. Since then the
Jews harp seems to have fallen into
| disrepute. and it's position as a. serious
means of musical enjoyment is no long
err dmitted.-London Standard.