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Marble musical instruments
 

Masonry

The author is a member of the Member of the Stonemasons and the Monumental Stonecutters Union and thanks this he can be in touch with many stonemasons and vibrate into every area of this craft.

 

There is for instance an excellent co-operation

  • with the Union´s secretary – Mrs. Ludmila Ctrnacta,
  • with the Prirodni kamen company of Mr. Norbert Durych who represents in Bohemia an Italian company of Bellinzoni at the same time,
  • with a stonemason company of FOIT in Zlichov etc.

Friendship and occasional co-operation with a stonemason and a restorer Antonin Pata who is the author´s teacher in many respects are an extraordinary contribution for the author.



Workload

How the Stone Started to Speak

Millions of years old material called by the stonemasons Verde Guatemala (in Czech – hadec) has already proved its exceptional capacity when it enabled to create playing marble violins. From March 2004 one of these violins has been included to art collections of the Municipal Museum of Prague. From December of the same year the marble violin became also a headword of the UNIVERSUM dictionary, its updated version is available on CD-ROM and DVD. Since this is a metamorphosed marble it is possible to grind it up to unbelievably small but still relatively strong thickness. That is why marble violins play, at the moment just weakly but with an original tone coloration.

A functioning marble loudspeaker membrane is another step how to define this amazing stone.

The aim of this path was to hear the human voice or sound of a whole orchestra that comes out of the material that everybody believed until just recently that was not able to resonate. This was successfully refuted last year by significant help of violin virtuoso Jaroslav Sveceny who is a spiritual co-producer and owner of marble violins.

Marble loudspeaker membrane – the first model

A membrane of 4,5 cm in diameter and thickness of approx. 0,5 mm is a part of a loudspeaker with an output of 0, 5 W and 8 Ohm. In spite of a very week output this membrane transmits clearly all sounds including orchestra and human voice. In the future this material might be useful for so called central loudspeakers or maybe even high pitch loudspeakers. Solid but light materials are used in case of high pitch loudspeakers.

It is the first time that something like that was created of the natural stone. It would have not been possible without the technical assistance of electrical engineer Mr. Miroslav Levinka, an expert in construction of loudspeakers.

Both projects are exclusive matters; the fables are being ruined about a stone as a material suitable just for building and stonecutting work. Instead there are not only four specializations connected together: geology, physics, sculpture and music but also prehistoric world and contemporary electronics and acoustics. That is what makes it so fascinating.

The main success achieved in case of the first membrane was its presentation on the Hi-Tech Pages of the Lidove Noviny newspaper and a full page article on the Technology pages in the magazine The World of Science.

Unfortunately no detailed technical measuring had been done so far and numbers or graphs are unavailable.

Marble loudspeaker membrane – the second model

This membrane, that was again created with the assistance of electrical engineer Mr. Miroslav Levinka, an expert in construction of loudspeakers, is larger than the first membrane. Its diameter is 6,8 cm and it was inserted into a loudspeaker with an output of 5 W. Taking in consideration that in this case the output is much bigger and the loudspeaker is quite well audible and that way usable for all types of presentation of its quality as well as its drawbacks up to now. The advantage of this marble membrane is that through this one it is possible to hear for instance beautifully clear violin parts mainly in high positions. Mainly bass tones remain poorly reproducible and it is caused by the hardness of the material. That is why this loudspeaker can be used mainly for the central and possibly also for the high pitch zones.

The thickness of this membrane is similar to the thickness of the first membrane which means approx. 0,5 mm, but it is much better possible to see its movement and feel its vibrations to the touch mainly when amplified to maximum.

For the first time the membrane was publicly presented by the Radio Beat in the three times broadcasted Saturday program called the Gulas where the music by the Rolling Stones was played though it.

Presentation of function of both loudspeakers was demonstrated for Mrs. Alexandra Malachovska, Czech press office (ČTK) editor.

Marble boat

In the afternoon of July 12th 2005 the first functioning marble boat was launched on the river Vltava under the Palackeho Bridge. Not only journalists but also a Prague Mayor Pavel Bem and his Deputy Jan Burgermester came to see and also try the weight of the boat made of dark green marble Verde Guatemala of size of 184 x 59 x 40 cm. Soon after the boat constructor Jan Rericha being assisted by his team (Vladimir Blaha and Ivo Fiser) embarked and got on the river. The constructors aim was to prove that a boat can be created even of a stone although by now just in size for one person. The voyage across the Vltava to Smichov riverside lasted approximately ten minutes. After a short break on Smichov bank the boat got back on the water in direction to Palacky monument. Due to a strong river current the voyage back was a bit longer and took some 17 minutes. Even though the sculptor again touched by paddle the right river bank and that way has fulfilled for himself his goal to get across the river there and back, the last approx. 50 meters the boat had to be pulled up to a starting ramp by a rescue party that had been assisting this world record during the whole time of its duration.

Functioning marble organ pipe

The idea was to create the most realistic functioning marble copy of an organ pipe according to a tin original 2SC. The pipe was made of material Verde Guatemala assembled of several pieces that were consequently glued together. The sculptor continues in his efforts to create a bigger pipe.

Marble quil, pen and feath

A stone quill pen that can write and a feather are the most new creations that were like the previous works created of material Verde Guatemala. The stone quill pen as well as the feather was specially cut each one of a separate piece of marble.

All these works are or will be on display in the Pelhrimov Museum of records and Curiosities at the separate permanent exhibition “Golden Czech Hands“. In case of interest records of marble membranes, an organ pipe and a stone quill pen and a feather are available on video.