The Thereminvox or Theremin (originally pronounced /tay-ray-meen/ but often anglicized as /there-uh-min/ [1]) is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. Invented in 1919 by Russian Lev Sergeivitch Termen (aka Termin, later gallicized to Léon Theremin, /lé-on tay-ray-meen/), the Thereminvox was an offshoot of government-sponsored research into proximity sensors. Consisting of a box with two radio antennas, the Theremin was unique in that it required no physical contact in order to produce music; instead, a performer could control both the pitch and volume of the sound simply by moving his or her hands in the air.
Overview
The Theremin, also known as the Thereminvox, the Termenvox, and the Aetherphone, was among the first electronic musical instruments, invented in 1918, as well as the first musical instrument played without being touched. The musician moves their hands in proximity to two metal antennae, the distance from the antennae determining frequency (pitch) and amplitude (volume). Small movements of the hands can also create a tremolo or vibrato effect.
Based on the principle of heterodyning oscillators, the Thereminvox generates an audio signal by combining two different, but very high frequency radio signals. The capacitance of the human body close to the antennas causes pitch changes in the audio signal, in much the same way that a person moving about a room can affect television or radio reception. By changing the position of the hands with regard to one antenna, a performer can control the pitch of the output signal. Similarly, the amplitude volume of the signal can be affected by altering the hand's proximity to the other antenna. A careful combination of movements can lead to surprisingly complex performances.
Invented by a young Russian physicist named Lev Sergeivich Termen, known in the West as Leon Theremin, the instrument and inventor are the basis from which all twentieth-century electronic music was developed. While never enjoying the wide use in the classical music arena that it was designed for, it found great success as the sound of 'eerie' in countless motion pictures, notably Spellbound, The Lost Weekend, and The Day The Earth Stood Still. Despite such serious virtuoso performers as Clara Rockmore, the instrument fell into novelty status, largely because of the extreme difficulty in 'playing' it, as well as a lack of instruments and instructors.
After the release of the film, THEREMIN- An Electronic Odyssey, in 1994, the instrument has enjoyed a resurgence in interest and use by contemporary musicians. Robert Moog, of synthesizer fame, began his career building theremins and now sells an assortment of modern Theremin instruments.
History
Léon Theremin's invention of the Thereminvox was followed closely by the outbreak of civil war in Russia. After rave reviews at Moscow electronics conferences, Theremin demonstrated the device to Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin personally. Lenin was so impressed with the device that he began taking lessons in playing it, commissioned 600 of the instruments for distribution throughout the Soviet Union, and sent Theremin on a trip around the world to demonstrate the latest Soviet technology and the invention of electronic music. After a lengthy tour of Europe, during which time he demonstrated his invention to packed houses, Theremin found his way to America, where he patented his invention in 1928 (US1661058 [2] ). Subsequently, Theremin granted commercial production rights to RCA.
Although the RCA Thereminvox, released immediately following the stock market crash of 1929, was not a commercial success, it fascinated audiences in America and abroad. Clara Rockmore, widely considered the greatest Thereminist ever, toured to wide acclaim, performing a classical repetoire in concert halls around the United States, often sharing the bill with Paul Robeson. In 1938, Theremin was kidnapped from his New York apartment by Soviet agents, and forced to return to the USSR. Although reports of his execution were widely circulated, Theremin was in fact put to work in a labor camp, and later in a Soviet scientific prison, known as a "sharashka" (generic name for such prisons), where he designed the first "bug" (covert listening device).
After a flurry of interest in America immediately following the end of the Second World War, where the theremin could be heard on avant garde musical recordings as well as both high end as well as cheap motion picture soundtracks, the theremin fell into disuse as more modern electronic instruments were designed and made available for sale. Still, among a small group of enthusiasts, interest remained high.
Robert Moog began his career in the design and manufacture of electronic musical instruments by building theremins as a high school student, and credits what he learned from the experience as leading directly to his groundbreaking Moog Synthesizer . Today Moog Music is the leading manufacturer of performance-quality theremins.
When Brian Wilson requested a theremin be included in his studio orchestra for the recording of "Good Vibrations", none were available, nor a musician to play one. Paul Tanner was brought in with his homebuilt device, called a tannerin aka electro-theremin, with mechanical controls that could roughly mimic a theremin sound. For concert appearances, a slide controlled oscillator was designed and built for The Beach Boys by Robert Moog. The tannerin was later used to test hearing.
Léon Theremin died in 1993, missing out on the current revival of interest in his instrument. Lydia Kavina, a distant relative of Leon Theremin, is a well known thereminist, with several cd's currently available. Pamelia Kurstin, a disciple of Clara Rockmore, is currently the greatest modern thereminist, with the ability to play not only staccato bass parts but has even performed while on roller skates.
Neil Armstrong took a recording of the theremin album Music Out Of The Moon by Dr Samuel Hoffman on Apollo XI, along with a recording of Dvorak's New World Symphony.
Bibliography
- Martin, Steven M. THEREMIN- An Electronic Odyssey, Sundance winning documentary feature film, Orion/MGM, 1994
- Glinsky, Albert. Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2000. ISBN 0252025822.
Some musicians who have used the theremin
(There's also a complete list of bands/tracks [3] using a theremin)
External links
Last updated: 08-29-2005 21:46:35
