Marianne Davies (1743 or 1744 – c. 1818) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wr ...

, and the sister of the classical

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880& ...

Cecilia Davies Cecilia Davies (c. 1756 – 3 July 1836) was an English classical soprano who had an active international career in concerts and operas during the second half of the 18th century. In Italy she was known as "l'Inglesina". She was the sister of Maria ...

. She was a singer who also played flute and harpsichord. In 1762 she became the first person to publicly perform on the glass harmonica (also known as the armonica), an instrument consisting of variously sized and tuned glass bowls that rotate on a common shaft, played by touching the spinning glass with wet fingers. She toured in concerts with her sister, performing in Dublin (1763), London, and on the Continent where the two girls became acquainted with the

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

family.

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

also composed music for the instrument. She corresponded regularly with

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading int ...

, who invented the instrument. Various correspondence in the historical archives outlines her failing health, and her desire to have the opportunity to play the instrument again before her death.

References

External links

Her correspondence is published on William Zeitler's website.
Biography at "Glassarmonica"

website] * ttp://www.glassarmonica.com/armonica/marianne_davies.php#tthFtNtAAB Biography {{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Marianne English classical musicians Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Year of birth uncertain 1740s births 1810s deaths