On May 5th, theremin masters Masami Takeuchi and Barbara Buchholz will perform in a joint concert in Bielefeld, Germany. The concert will also feature a choir of performers playing Masami Takeuchi's Matryomin theremin (a kind of theremin fit inside a Russian stacking doll - pictured here).
Here's a flyer (PDF) with more information.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0L_7RXSMpI
Starts with a solo performance of Wish Upon A Star on what is either an RCA or a look-alike, then a bit of chat with the host - no Japanese required to figure out what is being said - then the doll orchestra, playing Dvorak's New World Symphony (or, as it known in the UK, The Hovis Advert Music.)
These may be single-pitch theremins, but they are certainly not terrormins!
Well worth a watch.
He played 'When you Wish' when I saw him - with the same pianist. I had no idea what was inside a Matryonim though. I expect that Peter Pringle and Uncky' Howie would be pleased to see this Gordon.
p.s It may be interesting to point out that there is no word for 'tuning' in Japenese. They just use the English 'tuning.' At least I guess that's what it means.
The little Matryonims ought to sound good - they appear to cost 44,000 Yen, (£210) (here (http://translate.goo...)
Mind you - given the price - a baking foil aerial attached with a crocodile clip, and a 4 AA batteries with the holder just kind of floating around on top of the circuitry? Please tell me it's just exchange rates making them seem expensive.
I wish him the best of luck, but I don't really think that Britain currently has the right climate in which to sell expensive Russian-doll halfway theremins*. I can see people paying 30 or 40 quid for them, but not £210.
Oh - and about that other Japanese thereminist, Onishi? Can anyone spot anything unsual about this performance?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiRWeXusuzc
*Masami never actually referred to them as theremins. He said that they were of his own invention, based on the Theremin - Matryushka (or Matronim in singular)
With regards to the Matryushka, I suspect the main problem with the price is economies of scale - if he could tie in with a big manufacturer and get the marketing right...
(I've been reading up on the stylophone - big thing in the UK in the 70's, most basic keyboard imaginable, and costing about 95 pounds by today's standards, but they got the marketing spot on. Essentially they blagged their way into the BBC and got Rolf Harris - very popular children's entertainer - on board.)
I bet Blue Peter would love the Matryushka orchestra. It's about time they had something theremin related - last time was December 1993.
Come to think of it, they'd probably love you! You should write in - see if you can wangle a Blue Peter badge at the least. Heck, my sister got one for telling them she cut up old Christmas cards to make gift tags.
Brief aside re: stylophone - This (http://www.keyboardm...) bit of flash takes a while to finish downloading and start working, but it's pretty funny. Especially the version of A Whiter Shade of Pale played on five stylophones at the end of side two.)
[i]Oh - and about that other Japanese thereminist, Onishi? Can anyone spot anything unsual about this performance?:[/i]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiRWeXusuzc
Well... she is managing to get sound out of her Theremin without the use of patch cords. :O
Anyway, the video appears to have been made seperate from the audio track.
The ones I was did not have tin foil and crocodile clips inside. Rather the attention to detail and design was the same inside as out.