
audiobook
by Anonymous
Transcriber’s Notes
THE POWER OF MUSIC.
CONVULSIONS RELIEVED BY MUSIC
RECOVERY OF THE VOICE BY MUSIC.
THE EFFECT OF MUSIC ON A HARE.
THE POWER OF MUSIC ON THE ELEPHANT.
THE EFFECT OF MUSIC ON A PERSON WHILE ASLEEP.
CONTRARY EFFECTS OF ITALIAN AND FRENCH MUSIC ON A GREEK LADY.
ANECDOTE OF ZAMPERINI.
EFFECTS OF MUSIC ON MICE AND SPIDERS.
A lively anthology of early‑19th‑century stories, this work gathers dozens of remarkable accounts that explore how music reaches far beyond mere entertainment. From physicians documenting miraculous recoveries to travelers noting unexpected animal reactions, each vignette offers a window into a time when melody was trusted as a genuine remedy. The collection reads like a scrapbook of curiosity, inviting listeners to consider how sound once shaped everyday life.
Among the tales, a young woman plagued by relentless convulsions finds temporary peace whenever a violin or fortepiano fills the room, while a mute singer regains her voice under the same gentle strains. Equally astonishing are reports of hares calming, elephants stirring, and even a bull’s temperament shifting in response to particular tunes. Interwoven with brief sketches of notable composers and courtly anecdotes, the book paints a vivid portrait of music’s reputed power to heal, soothe, and even tame the natural world.
Full title
The Power of Music In which is shown, by a variety of pleasing and instructive anecdotes, the effects it has on man and animals. In which is shown, by a variety of pleasing and instructive anecdotes, the effects it has on man and animals.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (124K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Charlene Taylor, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
Oct 11, 2021
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
Some books outlast the names of the people who wrote them. When a work is credited to Anonymous, the mystery becomes part of its appeal, inviting readers to focus entirely on the story, ideas, or tradition behind it.
View all books