Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-16
MUSIC FROM A LAMP
Musicians and Scientists Amased ut
First Exhibition of Tel
harmOnium.

Musicians and scientists made UP the
larger part Of the audience at the first
public exhibition IN New York Of Thaddeus
Cahilrs invention, the telharmonium,
through which perfect music Is produced
from electrical vibrations. The exhibition
was given in Telharmonio hall, and was
pronounced a decided success.
From banks OF dynamos in the basement
came music similar, but in some respects
superior to the tones Of the pipe organ,
the French horn, the clarionet but this
music was produced without reeds, pipes
strings or any of the elements hitherto
employed in the formation OF musical
sound. Eliminating all technical considera-
ton Of the invention, II consists simply OF
producing by electrical current the exact
number Of vibrations required for each
tone in the major and minor scales and
then building up the harmonics or over
tones which belong with each basic tone.
with all the novelty and wonder Of the
thing there was just a touch Of magic In
this first performance OF the electric mu-
sic machine. Strains Of Chopin's Second
Nocturne, reproducing the tone Of a French
horn, would come first from chandelier
then from a large vase Of roses, then from
the floor beneath ones feet. Men
delssohn's Spring Song" as II produced
by the pipe organ, came first from a hang
ing basket Of ferns then from a large
horn protruding from the wall and again
from the keyboard, where the player sat
All this was done simply by the manipula-
ton Of a switchboard, just as an operator
would change the connection OF a telephone
from one house to another.
In each of the places from which the
music came was a diaphragm similar to
that of the telephone, and the electrical
vibrations Of the dynamos were merely
switched from one place to another where
the telephones were concealed.
Another interesting exhibition was the
production of music from an ordinary arc
lamp, where nothing could be seen except
the bright CLEAN Of the electric light This
music was very soft, but exceedingly
sweet and dreamlike, similar to the music
Of an orchestra far out on the water on
a summer night.
Even more marvellous than this was an
exhibition In which a row of incandescent
lights glowed brightly, and grew dim Just
as the theme played ran into the higher or
lower notes. This was done to demonstrate
that the higher notes require more vibra-
tions than the lower ones. The selection
taken for that was Mendelssohn's Spring
Song" When the high notes OF the song
were being played the lights would fade
and disappear, When the theme ran down
into the lower register they would CLEAN
with light that illumined the big room,
and again when the higher notes were
touched the room became dark.
Eventually It is the purpose of those who
are perfecting the telharmonium to trans
NIT these musical vibrations or currents
into theaters, halls and homes, just as tele-
phone messages are sent now. In fact, the
music will be carried over ordinary tele-
phone wires and may be started in ones
dining room. drawing room or sleeping
room at any hour Of the day or night
merely by opening a switch. The volume
may be regulated to suit the tastes and
mood of the listener.
Edward Belany. in 1887, In his looking
Backward" outlined this system of trans
hitting music to the homes of a city, but
he predicted that It would come in the
year 9DoO and even in the flights Of fancy
then he did not dream that electricity would
be employed in the actual creation OF mu-
sic He simply prophesied that ordinary
man-made music would be transmitted by
telephone wires.-New York Herald