Description

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), “Adagio for Armonica”

• Adagio,  K.617a
• Arranged for Solo Guitar by Cameron O’Connor

The armonica was an instrument whose popularity flourished alongside that of the Romantic guitar,  from about 1770-1830.  Although the practice of producing pitches by rubbing wetted fingers along the rims of water glasses had been recorded in Europe at least as early as 1492 (as published in Gaffurius’ Theorica musicae),  it wasn’t until Benjamin Franklin invented his armonica in 1761 that easily-reproducible music reached a wide audience.