A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Eulenstein, Charles

by Victor de Pontigny

EULENSTEIN, Charles, was born in 1802 at Heilbronn, in Wurtemberg. His father was a respectable tradesman; but nothing could deter the son from following his strong predilection for music. After enduring all sorts of privations and ill-success, he appeared in London in 1827, and produced extremely beautiful effects by performing on sixteen Jew's-harps, having for many years cultivated this instrument in an extraordinary manner. [Jew's-Harp.] The patronage of the Duke of Gordon induced him to return in 1828; but he soon found that the iron Jew's-harp had so injured his teeth that he could not play without pain, and he therefore applied himself more and more to the guitar. At length a dentist contrived a glutinous covering for the teeth, which enabled him to play his Jew's-harp again. He was very successful in Scotland, and thence went to Bath, to establish himself as teacher of the guitar, concertina, and the German language. After remaining there a considerable time he returned to Germany, and is now (1878) living at Günzburg, near Ulm.

[ V. de P. ]