Meet the Theremin
The theremin was invented in 1919 by a Russian physicist named Lev Termen (his name was later changed to
Leon Theremin). Today, this marvelous instrument is once again in the musical spotlight.
Besides looking like no other instrument, the theremin is unique in that it is played without being touched. Two antennas
protrude from the theremin - one controlling pitch, and the other controlling volume. As a hand approaches the vertical
antenna, the pitch gets higher. Approaching the horizontal antenna makes the volume softer. Because there is no physical
contact with the instrument, playing the theremin requires precise skill and perfect pitch.
In the early 1920's, Leon Theremin came to the United States to promote his invention. He was given a studio to work in,
and he trained several musicians to help bring the theremin into the public eye. Then, in 1938, Leon Theremin was
taken back to the Soviet Union by force, leaving behind his studio, friends, business, and his wife.
After a stay in a prison camp, Leon Theremin reportedly worked for the KGB designing among other things, the "bug" and methods
for cleaning up noisy audio recordings.
The Theremin in Music & Film
Originally, the theremin was intended to replace entire orchestras with its "music from the ether." While that
never quite happened, it has been used in many recordings over the years. During the 60's and 70's, bands such as
Lothar and the Hand People,
the Bonzo Doo Dah Dog Band, and Led Zeppelin brought
the theremin into the public eye for a short time. Then, the theremin slipped back into obscurity until the recent
revival of the 1990s. Today, lots of bands use theremins, though few in a musical context.
The spooky sound of the theremin was used in several movie soundtracks during the 1950's and 1960's. It provided background
mood music for such sci-fi classics as The Day the Earth Stood Still and
It Came From Outer Space, as well as thrillers such as
Spellbound and The Lost Weekend.
In 1993, Steven M. Martin produced a documentary entitled Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey.
This incredible film provides an in-depth look into the history of the instrument and its inventor. The film features rare
footage and interviews with music industry legends such as Robert Moog, Todd Rundgren, and Brian Wilson as well as Prof. Leon
Theremin himself!
A Star Is Born
One of Prof. Theremin's original students was a Russian-born musical prodigy named Clara Rockmore. By age 5, Clara was already
an accomplished violinist. But then a problem with her hands forced her to give up the violin in favor of the theremin.
Clara went on to become the world's best thereminist, developing a unique method of "aereal fingering" to play the theremin
with unparalleled precision. You can hear Clara perform on the album, The Art of the Theremin,
accompanied on piano by her sister, Nadia Reisenberg.
A Family Tree of Theremins
In the late 1920's, RCA produced approximately 500 theremins, manufactured by General Electric and Westinghouse. Today, it is estimated that only half of these still exist.
An effort is underway to track down the remaining models. You can read more about these theremins in the
RCA Theremin Registry.
Electronic music pioneer Robert Moog built theremins long before he built synthesizers. In the 1960's, he produced
such models as the wedge-shaped Vanguard theremin and the shoebox shaped Moog Melodia theremin. Today, his company
Moog Music Inc. produces the popular Etherwave and
Etherwave Pro theremins. Other popular models today include PAiA's Theremax
and Wavefront's Classic and Travel-Case theremins.
Just the beginning...
Read on to learn more about building theremins, see pictures of theremins, see which bands use theremins, and see a theremin in action!
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