Rollig, Karl Leopold

1761-1804

Born in Vienna; played the harmonica, and invented two musical instruments resembling the piano, but with bows in place of hammers. He traveled extensively, demonstrating these instruments, the orphika and xanorphika, which were, however, shortlived. Rollig finally settled down in his native city as Court librarian at the age of thirty-six, and died there, still a comparatively young man, at forty-five, but not before he had composed a comic opera, Clarissa, and had also published treatises concerning the harmonica and the orphika, in 1787 and 1795, respectively; also, within the last two years of his life, contributed articles appearing in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung.