The Amelia Project - Episode 67 - Amelia's Aria (1829)

Episode Date: July 7, 2023

"Glass holds many secrets..." During a performance of Donizetti's Il Castello di Kenilworth at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, The Brotherhood of the Phoenix comes across a strange instrument: The Glass Harmonica. It turns out that this instrument and its mysterious player hold many secrets... Written by Philip Thorne with music and sound design by Adam Raymonda. Featuring Eugenia Caruso, Hemi Yeroham, Alan Burgon, Michael Smulik, Jordan Cobb, Erin King and Julia C. Thorne. Dedicated to Tom Putnam. Full credits on our website. Website: https://ameliapodcast.com  Transcripts: https://ameliapodcast.com/transcripts Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ameliapodcast Donations: https://ameliapodcast.com/support Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-amelia-project?ref_id=6148 Twitter: https://twitter.com/amelia_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliapodcast/ Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ameliapodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your teen requested a ride, but this time, not from you. It's through their Uber Teen account. It's an Uber account that allows your teen to request a ride under your supervision with live trip tracking and highly rated drivers. Add your teen to your Uber account today. Summer is like a cocktail. It has to be mixed just right. Start with a handful of great friends. Now, add your favorite music.

And then, finally, add Bacardi Rum. And there you have it. The perfect summer mix. Bacardi. Do what moves you. Live passionately. Drink responsibly. Copyright 2024. Bacardi. It's trade dress and the bat device are trademarks of Bacardi and Company Limited. Rum 40% alcohol by volume. The Amelia Project would not be possible without the generous support of our patrons. This episode is dedicated to super patron Tom Putnam,

who in return for his death has promised to provide us with a recipe for a cocoa that glows. Le Duma Glow. We wonder if it will include some of Ant's bioluminescent watercress. And now, let's start the show. Hello. Sorry. I'm ready. You're sure? Yes, yes! Unveil the monster! Alright! Here we go! I warned you, Senor. It's... it's terrifying! The gleaming eyes, the scales, the fangs, the forked tongue.

I am very proud of the tongue. It can protrude and retract. Here, push this. In, out, in, out. Most impressive. Giuseppe? Where is Giuseppe? I want to show this to Giuseppe.

I think he snuck into the auditorium. Oh? What's playing? Anything good? Il Castello di Kenilworth, a new opera by Gaetano Donizetti. Well, it can't be more exciting than this giant serpent. You've done a splendid job, Luigi. How did you build it so quickly? Well, last season we staged a production of the Magic Flute. Ah. Der Vogelfänger bin ich, ja, stets lustig. Hi, sahop, sah, sah. Ah, yes. Oh, wait. So this is the serpent slain by the three ladies? I took it out of

storage and made some improvements. What kind of improvements? Something I originally suggested to the director of the Magic Flute, but... Yes? But? But ever since the unfortunate incident 13 years ago, we're not allowed to use fire in Teatro di San Carlo. Oh, yes, yes, yes, I heard about that. The theatre burned down during a dress rehearsal, is that right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But look at this. Luigi! You like it?

Well, cover me in diamonds and call me a diva! You have surpassed yourself! Francis is going to be very happy. Francis? Who's Francis? No one. No, no, no one. I don't know. What are you going to use him for? Are you and Giuseppe theatrical producers? Ah, look. Here he comes. Giuseppe. Arturo.

What do you think? Of what? Of what? Good Lord, of the 60-foot serpent right in front of you. Ah. It's big. It's exactly what we asked for. No, no, it's better. Definitely better. It breath exactly what we asked for. No, no, it's better.

Definitely better. It breathes fire, Giuseppe. Fire! That's nice. Is everything all right? Oh, yes. Yes, I... I just, uh... I had the most incredible experience.

Oh, really? More incredible than a fanged fire-breathing beast? You enjoyed the opera? I don't think the production has enough special effects. There was a most unusual instrument. One I have never heard before. There was this song. Ah, you mean Amelia's aria.

Amelia? What a lovely name. Amelia is the main character in Il Castello di Kenilworth, and she sings an aria that is accompanied by a glass harmonica. A glass harmonica? Ah, it produces the strangest sound. Incomparably sweet and devastatingly sad all at once. Right, yes. Well, we need to find a way to carry this beast out of here. Once the show is finished, I can ask some stagehands to deliver it to you.

That would be very kind, Luigi. Here is our address. And here are 200 ducats as discussed. Grazie, signore. Oh, no, no, no. You've earned it. If you ever need my services again... We will certainly be in touch. Arrivederci, signore. The king will be very happy.

And once we fake the death of King Francis, word will soon reach noblemen throughout the two Sicilies that the Brotherhood of the Phoenix has taken up residence in Naples. We will be set for the next decade at least. The clergy and nobility here have deep pockets and are terrified of the rise of the Carbonari. Fertile ground for death faking. And I think Luigi will prove very useful. I mean, what he did with that snake! Now, I know 200 ducats is extravagant, but believe me,

once news gets out that Francis I was devoured by a serpent, I mean, the right people will read the signs and come flocking. The ducats will come gushing in and we can even buy a boat again and set sail for... Giuseppe? What? Are you even listening to me? Sorry. You're still thinking about Emily's aria.

Amelia's aria. And that glass xylophone. Glass harmonica It really does produce the most hypnotic tones You should have heard it, Arturo You should have heard it ¶¶ Thank you. The Amelia Project by Philip Thorne and Øystein Ulsberg-Braga with sound direction by Frederik Barden and sound design by Adam Raimonda. Episode 67.

Amelia's Aria. 1829. I can't believe he just bottled out. It is not unusual for clients to get cold feet at the last minute. But the revolutionaries are snapping at his heels. I mean, he just visited Paris and saw the reign of terror firsthand. Things have really spiraled out of control in France. A second revolution is nigh, I guess.

Yes. We were too successful. Yes. Good thing we got out of Paris just in time. Revolutionary fervor is traveling beyond France. Just a few months ago, they attempted an insurrection in Cilento, for goodness sake. Francis lives in daily fear of assassination. Why doesn't he want us to fake his death?

This was meant to be a showcase disappearance for us. I know. And what are we going to do with that snake? The snake? We paid a fortune for that thing. Now we're broken without a single lead. I sometimes wonder if we should not employ someone to make contracts. Contracts? Yes. We should get clients to commit before we make extravagant purchases. Pathetic idea! He's a king, he does what he wants. Oh, I guess he may still change his mind and come back. You know, you're being awfully cavalier about this. And would you stop that racket, it's giving me a headache!

Hey, what are you... Arturo! That was unnecessary. Oh, my. Yes, I'm sorry. Are you? Yes. Listen, I...

I spoke to Luigi this morning and... The two of you spend a lot of time together. Yes, well, he's a lot more fun than you are at the moment. Arturo. Yes, I'm sorry, sorry, I didn't mean... Look, what I was about to say... I spoke to Luigi this morning and I know how obsessed you are with that glass thingy. So he's arranged for you to meet Fiorella Bedecovich.

Who? The musician who played that music you heard. Amelius Aria? Yes. Oh, thank you. You're welcome. When do I see her? Eleven o'clock tonight. Tonight? Thank you, Arturo. Please, don't mention it. This will be very interesting. Very interesting indeed. Indeed. Hello?

Hello? Hello? कि अ कि हेलो हेलो हेलो हेलो कि चेने सूनों अ कि आ था आ यह खाया दान एक Yukarıdan. Peki. Peki. Fiyaroyla Bedekovic. Adihan. Fyodor Lobedykovich? Oh, dear. Um...

Ah, I apologize. I did not wish to disturb you. Please, keep playing. No, Miss Scorsese. Who are you? Ah. Oh. Oh, you were not expecting me, sorry. Luigi from the opera said you had agreed to see me. Ah, sì, scusi. When I play, I lose all sense of time and place. Of course. I'm not surprised. I heard you play Emilia Zario at the opera house.

Ah, par che mi dica ancora. Par che mi dica ancora. Par che mi dica ancora, yes. And, well, I feel like I lost myself in that music, and I've been trying to find my way back to reality ever since. It's true. Does that sound silly? Not at all. The glass harmonica allows us to access a different realm.

Grazie. For humoring me. Will you look at that? It is a beautiful instrument. Oh, should I light some more candles? It is very gloomy in here. Oh no no no no no no need. I can see perfectly well and the sparkling glass is most magical. Please continue playing. Would you like to try? Me? Si. Me?

Si. May I? Dammi le mani. Give me your hand. First you will need to wet your fingers. Of course. Così. Oh, it's quite warm.

Then dip them into chalk Chalk Bene Now I will tread the pedal to make the glass ball spin You choose a ball and apply pressure to the rim with your wet fingers Pronto? Ready Bene

Oh Oh Ready? Bene È normale, è normale No, devi aumentare la pressione Più pressione, ovviamente Più pressione Non tanto, un po' meno Softly, piano meno. Softly. Piano, piano. Softly.

Sì. Oh. Bravo. You know, it does not feel like I'm the one playing. The sound does not seem to come from the instrument at all. It is coming from the walls, the ceiling, the floors. It is floating, floating in through the windows, carried by the wind. Yes, the glass vibrates at a pitch that cannot be located in space.

Now, if I increase the speed of the rotation... See? The sound changes with friction, rotation and humidity. Get all these elements right, and the glass sings. The glass sings! It is most peculiar hearing a material we are so familiar with sing. Glass holds many secrets. Indeed.

Did you know that glass is not a solid material? Yes, it's true. It is neither solid nor liquid. Something in between. Ethereal. Like this sound. Let me guess. You're a glassblower.

No? I have always wanted to learn more about glassblowing. No. No, sadly, I am not. I was so sure. No. I find there is nothing more magical than the ability to breathe life into glass. Mi dispiace, sorry. Although, I did once help a glassblower on Murano.

That was a very strange case. glassblower on Murano. That was a very strange case. I also spent several months with a maker of stained glass windows. Davvero? Tell me more. We created replicas of the windows of the Chartres Cathedral. Oh, I've heard those windows date back to the 12th century. Yes, and the cobbled blue is quite spectacular. I wish I could see them. We exchanged the originals with fakes in the cover of night. What, you stole the stained glass windows? Oh, no. We put in replicas so we could send the Archdeacon of Chartres

crashing through them. What? We posed as conservationists the following day to reinstall the originals, of course. You are a strange man. Nah, enough about me. I'm here to learn about you and your wondrous instrument. Now, how many balls are mounted on this spindle? Thirty-seven.

From the big glasses over here, with their deep, round sounds, to the tiny glasses here, with their angelic tone. Ah, wonderful. Ah, wonderful. Now, run your hands over all the balls at once. All of them?

Si. All right. Eccolo, ecco si, bravo, bravo. No, accarezzali, caress them. Ah. Si, si, si. Now hold your hands still. Si. Bravo.

Apatulizion. Bravo. But listen. What? I have taken my hands off the instrument, yet still it sings. Ah, yes, the vibrations do linger on. Well, if I did not know any better, I would say the harmonica is playing itself. Maybe it is. So, when do we start? Start what?

My lessons. Well, I have just given you a demonstration. That is enough. Wait. No. I want more than just cursory knowledge. I want to be able to play. Like you. Be my teacher, Fiorella. You must leave. Leave? What?

Now. But I just got here and you were... This was a mistake. This... I should never have agreed to this. What are you talking about? Are you not proud to share your knowledge of this wonderful instrument? I see it has already begun to work its spell on you. Spell on me? What? It was the same with me. I became obsessed, suffered from poor appetite and sleeplessness.

All I wanted to do was play and play. Well, is that not the mark of any great musician? Becoming obsessed with their instrument? But this is no ordinary instrument. True. It is a magical one. And deadly.

Excuse me? I urge you to forget about the instrument before the sadness begins to fester inside of you. Sadness? The sweet tones weigh heavily on the soul. The sweet tones are transcendent.

Transcendent, yes. They make you more sensitive to pain, beauty, fear, death. Fiorella, what are you saying? That everyone who spends time with this instrument is stricken by a terrible melancholia. And this is why the Glass Harmonica is banned in Milano and Bologna. Banned? No! In Ostia, on the Emperor's orders, all known instruments were confiscated and destroyed. How terrible! On what charge?

Invoking spirits and driving listeners mad. Invoking spirits? Here in Naples, the instrument is still tolerated, largely because Donizetti likes to use it in his operas. He is writing a new opera, Lucia di Lammermoor. There will be an aria with glass harmonica accompaniment. A song in which Lucia, the main character, goes insane. I am glad that at least in Naples your career can thrive. But maybe they are right. Maybe this instrument should be destroyed. Do not say that. All music strives to transport its listeners, to allow them access to their deepest emotions, to make them feel.

If the glass harmonica has such a profound effect, you should wear that as a mark of pride. Even if the effect is dangerous? What proof is there for that? You want proof? Yes, I want proof. If I ban him. Richard Pockridge, inventor of the glass harp and first musician to play goblets filled with water.

Killed by a fire in his room while he was playing. Marianne Davis, the instrument's first great star, fell victim to a deep depression and suffered from unexplained fear, laughing, crying and speaking without meaning. Marianne Kirschgesner, muse for Mozart's Adagio for Grassarmonica, Kierschgesner, muse for Mozart's Adagio for glass harmonica, suffered from hallucinations and panic attacks whilst playing, her health deteriorating with every recital. She died at the age of 39. Vittoria Baroni, Beethoven's favourite glass harmonist, spent six months at the Maddalena Lunatic Asylum to be treated for depression and hallucinatory outbursts. She was let out to play the glass harmonica for Beethoven's Eleanor Prochaska and was found dead in the

orchestra pit. I could go on. Every serious player of this instrument has had their career cut. Short. And you fear the same will happen to you? I know it will. You sound very sure. I am. Why?

Because I have seen my death. You mean like a vision? Do you remember when I told you the glass harmonica allows us to access a different realm? I do. I was not speaking metaphorically. When you spoke of the unlucky harmonica players, you mentioned hallucinations. Are you saying that playing the instrument allows you to... see things? Yes.

What kind of things? I cannot speak for the other players. But for you? For me, I travel forward. I have visions of what is to come. I can see deep into a person's future. This instrument is becoming more mysterious and magnificent by the minute. An instrument whose ethereal tones allow you to traverse time.

Yes, but... A crystal ball. Thirty-seven crystal balls. I was trying to warn you. You have failed You have intrigued me instead What is it that you want then? What is it that I want?

What is it that I want? I want to know Know? Know what? The future, of course Know? Yes In any case, I cannot see into the future. But you just said you can look into the future.

Yes, but not in a general sense. No. I can only see into a person's future. Well, I would like you to look into my future. You are not taking this seriously. I am very serious indeed. You haven't thought this through. How so?

If I look into your future, I will see your death. Fiorella, you will not see my death. How can you be so sure? I have my own mysteries. You really are a curious man. Most people would tell me I should seek help at Maddalena of San Servolo. But you... You did not bat an eyelid when I told you I could see the future.

I am very comfortable around magic. Grazie. I had forgotten what it was like to talk to someone who doesn't think I am mad. I have told you, Fiorella. You impress me. You impressed me when I first heard you at the opera, and you impressed me again tonight, conjuring those otherworldly tones. You really want me to access another realm and look into your future? Yes.

E va bene. You really want me to access another realm and look into your future? Yes. Ever been? All right. Fiorella? Fiorella, what do you see? You have a restless spirit. Yes. I see a life of adventure. A life full of people, places, and stories. You will not be with us for long.

What? In Naples. You will not be with us for long in Naples. Oh, I see. You will soon exchange our steep, narrow streets, our bustling markets and ornate churches for a vast, barren expanse where the sun shines fiercely and blood flows freely. The American West, ah yes! We are saving our ducats for another trip across the Atlantic. We miss our seafaring days.

But will our time in America be successful? Yes, success. Stories. Ah. New encounters. Ah. In bars, wagons, palaces, and prisons. Ah.

Or in the new world and the old. Ah, the road ahead is paved with adventure. Until? Yes? I have never had access to a realm so distant before. What do you mean? This is too far into the future for any human lifespan. How strange.

Yes, yes, yes, yes. What do you see? A hundred years from now to the day. Yes? A hundred years to the day. A hundred years to the day, yes. Delirium. Decadence. Dance. Death. What?

The world shall be plunged into great darkness. The world? Now you're predicting the state of the world. I thought you could only foresee the fate of an individual. You will not be ready for the changing times. You will not notice the shadow fall. Sometimes, you will not notice the shadow fall. You will be too distracted, self-satisfied, absorbed. Never.

Your success has gone to your head. It has blunted your wits and numbed your judgment. You want me to go on? Yes. You will flee. Flee? Flee from a world at war. And from your own narcosis.

No more people. Travels. Stories. No more stories? How long? Forever? For... Yes?

A decade. After no contact with the outside world for many years. Yes? Go on, Fiorella, go on. Hello? Anybody there? This is A.E. seeking assistance. Over. This is A.E. calling from Electra. Requesting immediate assistance.

Over. What? Oh, you will meet an extraordinary person. An extraordinary person? Who? She will arrive from the sky. An extraordinary person? Who? She will arrive from the sky. From the sky? She? Courage is the price that life exacts for granting

peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things. I do not understand. You will start afresh. With this woman? Learning, evolving.

We will keep collecting stories. For many years. Oh, good. Until one day... Yes? Oh, I see a man. A man? Which man? Which man, Fiorella? A dangerous man. A man? Which man? A non-man. Which man, Fiorella?

A dangerous man. A dangerous man? Please, I need to know more. Fiorella? Are you there? His name starts with an M. Oh. What does this M-man want? Everything.

That is very vague. It is very far into the future. All right, well, will this M-man be successful? Not at first. Oh, but he will try again. Fiorella! Try what? What does he want?

What happens the second time? Please! I can see no further. Why not? I believe this is where your story ends. Oh. Oh, ends. Oh. I am unsure what to make of this.

As am I. Looking into your destiny has allowed me to travel hundreds of years into the future. Not as far as I would have liked. What do you mean? Oh, maybe there's a limit as to how far you can see.

Yes, that must be it. Well, it is true that the further I go, the dimmer the visions become. Oh, when it comes to my death, I can tell you every last detail. Really? Oh, yes. I can see it crystal clear. You see, my death takes place tomorrow.

You die tomorrow? Yes. But Fiorella, you have so much ahead of you. The new Donizetti, the aria that... What about it? Well, if you die, you will never get to play it. Are you trying to argue with fate? I dislike death.

So I've noticed. It seems you're sustaining an indecently long lifespan. Indecent? An indecently long lifespan. Indecent? I mean, I don't know who you are, but without death, it seems to me life has no meaning. And you're telling me you want to die? Well, not tomorrow. I would have liked more time. Oh, isn't it ironic?

What? It is only when you're faced with death that you discover what you truly want. And what is that? One summer, when I was a girl, my father took me to his own village in Croatia. Oh.

A village of glassblowers. Glassblowing had been his profession, though he gave it up when he came to Naples, exchanging the blowpipe for a fishing rod. But back in his village, I watched my

uncles blowing, pouring, sculpting glass and was mesmerized. I adored that place on the Adriatic. It is the happiest memory of my childhood. You were there only once. Mm. My father died when I was 15,

and I lost touch with the Croatian side of my family. I told myself that one day I would go back and I would become a glassblower. But... Yes, but? But I kept postponing it. Well, is that not where you should be now?

I mean, if you're really about to die tomorrow, is that not where you should be now? I mean, if you're really about to die tomorrow, isn't... I only found out about my death yesterday. And now it is too late to make the journey. This is a wish that will be left unfulfilled. You never looked into your future before. I swore I would only ever look into the futures of those around me. The oboist who will plummet into the Bay of Naples. The first violinist who will eat a bad oyster. The conductor who will stab himself through the eye with his baton during Otello.

It is not funny. I'm sorry. It is not funny. I'm sorry. So, you were not curious about your own fate? Of course. But I was cautious not to act on that curiosity. And what changed? The opera last night. Of course.

Amelia's aria. I played with such a passion. I lost control, fell into a trance, and by the time I regained a grip, it was too late. I had done what I vowed never to do. I had seen my own demise. Tell me about your demise. Oh, you will mock me. What makes you say that? Well, it is a very unlikely death. I promise I will not judge, and I doubt you will shock me.

I am something of a connoisseur when it comes to unlikely deaths, believe me. Oh, but this one is ridiculous, really. Even better. I will be killed by a serpent. A serpent? It is more dragon than snake. It even... Yes?

You will laugh. I promise you I will not. It breathes fire. It breathes fire? I told you. See, you're laughing. I'm sorry. And

what happens then? What do you mean? After it devours you. After it devours me? Yes. Life after death, if such a thing exists, it's a realm to which I have no access. And anyway, after I saw the serpent lunge, I woke from my trance in shock. Fiorella. Yes?

Let me tell you something. What? It is a pity your trance ended when it did. Why? Had it continued, you would have seen yourself learning how to blow glass, quietly living out your days by the Adriatic. What? Why do you say that? What you saw was not your death.

What a simulation. A simulation of my death? Yes. Who would want to simulate my death? Me. Why? To give you the new start you deserve, far from the glass harmonica and its grip on your mind. You planned this? Not at all. I am as surprised as you are. I simply came here for music lessons, but fate has a curious way of asserting itself.

Fate? Fate. You are meant to die tomorrow, and we are meant to arrange it. Who's we? The Brotherhood of the Phoenix. I don't... I don't understand. I will be separated from my instrument? Yes.

You see, I do not believe you fell into that trance against your will. But I just told you how it... Curiosity got the better of you. It is only normal. I... What you saw was not your real death. But at some point, perhaps in a few years, perhaps in one, two, or three decades,

you will die. And your instrument poses the terrible temptation of finding out how. How can you live with that knowledge quite literally at your fingertips? What will happen to my instrument? I will take good care of it, I promise. You will keep it? Yes.

But you have just now admitted that it is dangerous. I think that it is complicated. What do you mean? Well, in your case, as long as you are willing to part with it, it actually did some good. How? It allowed you to taste death, did it not? And this not die tomorrow, there is no rush. I can stay in Naples a few years more. I can play the new Donizetti.

Carola, please, no. No more postponing. You told me without death, life has no meaning, remember? Yes, yes. Well, what meaning does death provide if not to say that time is finite and must be treasured? You must live now. You must fulfill your dream now. It is time to start a new adventure. And you're really going to fake my death? It seems that this is what fate has in mind.

Tomorrow? Yes. By fire-breathing snake? Yes. How will that work? All you have to do is come to Castel de Lavo at eight o'clock and the serpent will rise from the bay. Now you are the lunatic. Strictly between us.

This death was planned for a different client. Client? Yes, but it was probably meant for you all along. This has been a very strange evening. Very strange indeed. Now, do you have glasses? I have 37 of them. Of course. But no, I meant drinking glasses. Although, come to think of it, let us replace a toast with a concert.

Your last concert on the glass harmonica. What do you say? My last concert. Your last concert. Very well. To near death. To near death. Stay tuned for the epilogue, but first, the credits. This episode was dedicated to Tom Putnam and featured Hemi Yiroham as Kozlovski, Eugenia

Caruso as Fiorella, Alan Bergen as the interviewer, and Michael Smulek as Luigi. It was written and edited by Philip Thorne, with story editing by Einstein Braga, music and sound design by Adam Raimonda, direction by Philip Thorne and Einstein Braga, production assistance by Marti Partsival, and graphic design by Anders Pedersen. We could not make this show without listeners choosing to support us. So we'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who is pitching in. And a shout out to our super patrons.

That's Celeste Joes, Heat312, Rodney Dullegi, Jem Fiddick, Aubin Assant, Amelie and Alison, Stephanie Weidenhiller, Raphael Eduardo Vifas-Varastaki,

Ashlyn Brand, Alison Thro, Patricia Bornwagner, Bryce Godmer, Cliff Heisinger, Thank you. Lee and V. Huardine, Mr. Squiggles, David Livingston, Tony Fisher, Tibby Florian Byers, Kourtney Mays Renson, Sunny D. Anomaly, Boo, and Jackie B. For more info on the show and how to support us, go to ameliapodcast.com. If you'd like to leave us a review or rating that would be really appreciated, you can do that on your podcast app or on social media. And you can find us on the socials on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram, where we regularly share Amelia news. And now, the epilogue. What happened to the instrument? You still have it?

Ah, I treasured it throughout our stay in the two Sicilies. After the false start with King Francis, we had a very productive period in Napoli. The Prince of Sansevero gave us a room in his palace, the apartment of the phoenix. The prince had a keen interest in experimental medicine and commissioned me to make anatomical machines for him. They are actually still on display in the Sansevero Palace. If you are ever in Naples, you must take a look. I wonder if Fiorello's glass Harmonica is still there, too.

I had to leave it behind when we went on our second American voyage in 1832. Second American voyage? Yes, there was one before. Although on our first voyage, our ship was invaded before we reached America, and things took a very different turn, but we will get to that. Probably a good thing you left the instrument behind. Well, I was very attached to it and I begged Arthur to let me take it, but he never liked the glass harmonica.

Yes, but all those musicians dying early. Ah. Well, nowadays they say it is because the glass back then contained high quantities of lead. Of course, lead poisoning. But I am not so sure. I still believe it is an instrument that can connect us to a different realm. Did you learn to play? Very badly. But did you, you know, have visions? Yeah, what is up with this M person?

Was that your death she saw? I am telling you my story is backwards. Now you want me to look into the future? Let us keep going in one direction or this will get very confusing indeed. But... Let us keep the future for the future. Right. So, what's the next story? Ah, a beach on the west coast of France. The year is 1783. I hated that instrument.

So I've gathered. So gloomy. I mean, give me an accordion, a banjo, or some bongos any day. But it made me think. Think about what? It made me think about what I still need to do before I die. And what's that? I really, really need to see Lorraine. Hey Dad, I've got a question for you and it makes me really frustrated. The Fable & Folly Network, where fiction producers flourish. Hey Dad, I've got a question for you and it makes me really frustrated.

Mikey, the stars are wrong. We jumped two and a half times farther than we were supposed to. He's not a robot, right? He's an AI. They used you, yes, but they used me worse. I want to go home. How many minutes are in a while? Ask Your Father is available anywhere you get podcasts.