In 2001 far away in Siberia, Russia, a group known as Crystal Trio began performing on crystal glass. Today these professional musicians, Igor Sklyarov, Vladimir Popras and Vladimir Perminov, play special instruments made from glass: Glass Harp, Verrophone and Glass Panflute Bass. Glass Music, an ancient art which had success in many noble houses of Europe, Russia and North America in the eighteen
th and nineteenth centuries, was often included as an integral part of the symphony orchestra. Crystal Trio continues to develop the tradition of musical glass by playing well-known classical and popular modern works, as well as tunes specifically written for glass instruments. The current repertoire includes variations of popular classical melodies of Mozart, Boccherini, Glinka, and Vivaldi, in addition to original pieces written specifically for a crystal glass. The mysterious, gentle murmurs of crystal glass allow the listener to understand known melodies in a new fashion; it opens secret, unexpected sides of classical musical pieces. Glass Music is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Recently Crystal Trio held a series of concert tours, playing in Russia, Europe and Japan. One journalist asked the musicians: “What is the secret of extraction of sounds from a glass?” The musicians answered…"It is very important how the fingers adjoin to glass. It is a skill of touch.”
The secret of the special sound in the crystal (also known as a harmonic glass or harmonic crystal) is hidden in the special designs of the musical instruments. Also, the skill of touching the thin sides of the glass flasks on the Verrophone and glass harp and the continuous stream of air on the glass-flute contribute to this heavenly sound. The sound of the harmonic glass will remind you of the murmur of a mountain stream, a soft, windy breeze, or mysterious wordless singing. This special art of playing on a harmonic glass reaches back many centuries, and it was widely performed by the royal orchestras and theatres between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. For a long time this art form was forgotten, but during the twentieth century it regained popularity. Crystal Trio is one of the first professional ensembles who have returned to this type of music, and they have performed for audiences worldwide.
