New-York tribune., 1909-05-23
By Taylor Edwards

effect that one Zusca, gallant
warrior wished that, even after deatn' ne
might still afford inspiration to the armies ne
had so often and so VIGOROUSLY led, and tnat
accordingly he gave direction that his own SKIN
should be utilized to make drumhead
Provost's Eolian Harp
zUSCA'S drum Is not. however, the most ex-
- traordinarv Of musical instruments Ven
tan Provost Of Basel, who lived about 1907,
produced most mysterious effects with MS 81
gantic meteorological <Eohan harp, as II mas
been called This strange instrument, "LlCn
was set up in ProvOSt'S garden, consisted OF
fifteen iron wires, each Of which was no less
than three hundred and twenty teet IN length
These wires were stretched between TWO poies'
in much the same manner as modern Telegraph
wires They were two inches apart, ana NsIleu
in thickness from one-twelfth to One-s1Xth OF an
inch They were set in a north and south dIrec-
ton at an angle of twenty OF thirty degrees
with the horizon, the proper tension oelI8 ou
tanned by means Of rollers attached 70 edCh emu
The wind Of course. was the performer on
this instrument. and 1t IS said that the effects
secured were wonderful and weird 10 degree
Sometimes the harp gave out hlSSing Souhd
like that of mighty waterfall at others II re
Sembled d hdrmOn1Con, whlIe at irtt4 ueIl' M
walls there came strange sweet music somewhat
like that Of chimes in a distant beltry, accom-
panied by a great organ
Louis Pig Organ
nNE OF the StTangeSt means oA p 0-3
~ music" was that devised by that cruel
monarch Louis XI of France 1t IS related thdt.
tiring of the ordinary methods OF ministerlng
to his musical needs. Louis commanded the
Master of Revelries to provide what ne was
pleased TO term a pig organ
Accordingly numerous live pigs OF various
apes and sizes were set aside for the King de
lectation They were arranged IN tent III
rows according to the pitch and quality OF
their respective grunts ana Squeals - t'e+t ~
keyboard was erected IN front OF the tent lhe
KEYS made to act on a sharp pointed instrument
which IN each case was calculated 10 eIclt the
desired tones from the unfortunate animals
When the performer began TO finger the key
board there arose the cries OF the unhappy
pigs which presented TO the cruel hing TASTE
some measure Of musical harmony LOUIS Is
said to have enjoyed this performance greatly
A Man for Every Note
MANY accounts are given of extraor
A'A dinarv band once stationed at the I'M
perial palace in st Petersburg OF these per
haps the most interesting IS that OF the visit oil
a famous composer. who had been taken 70 a
darkened room TO hear this band play one OF
his own compositions He was, OF course, en-
tirelv ignorant OF the makeup and methods OF
the band He was much impressed Seeing
this the officer acting as escort inquired po
litelv as to whether the composer could guess
how the effect was produced
No" answered the musician, " am utterly
at a loss to understand It. 1t IS nagTlIcelt-
quite unlike anything else l ever heard
Whereupon the apartment was Hooded with
light bringing two hundred musicians INTO
view Each held a horn or trumpet. these IN
struments VARYING in size from an inch and a
half to twenty feet Each instrument and each
PLAYER produced only single note, but the per
forrnance was so perfect. and the notes tell upon