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Friday, August 13, 2010
This Sunday, August 15th, is Lev Termen's birthday, he was known as
Leon Theremin in the U.S. We champion the theremin as a serious classical and experimental instrument, but the early popular side of the theremin in records and film is important too. The flying saucer would not have had it's iconic ooo00OO00ooo sound, there would not have been a Tannerin (see Beach Boys), or even the Moog Synthesizer without Lev's invention.
It is very likely that up until the YouTube era, Samuel J. Hoffman was the most heard thereminst in America. He was the primary, if not only, thereminst in Hollywood during the forties and fifties recording records and film scores, and even some T.V appearances.
For Lev's birthday this year I'll indulge my love for B Movies. No "The Day the Earth...", "Ten Commandments" or "Spellbound" this time, here's a short list of B Flicks and Spooky Movies you'll hear the theremin in.
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The Thing from Another World (1951)
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It Came from Outer Space (1953)
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The She-Creature (1956)
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The Indestructible Man (1956)
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The Queen of Outer Space (1958)
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House on Haunted Hill (1959)
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The First Spaceship on Venus (1960)
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Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962)
(this might be a Tannerin)
Please add on your favorites in the comments!
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Sunday, April 11, 2010
Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, will be marking music history with a new permanent display of the first Moog synthesizer, completed in 1964. The display honors Professor Emeritus of Music Herbert Deutsch who co-created the synthesizer with Bob Moog.
Hofstra played a part in their world changing work with a research grant of $200.00. Herb Deutsch is a well respected composer as well as a teacher and proponent of new and electronic music.
The synthesizer display will be unveiled by the University with a special ceremony to celebrate Herb Deustch's career and contributions on April 14, 2010, at 11:15 a.m.
Hofstra University
prpgse@hofstra.edu / (516) 463-6819 |
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
There are only a few left of the Bob Moog Foundation 2010 Calendar. Not only is it a great gift for any theremin or synth addict, it helps an organization that is important to all of us.
They also have cool T-Shirts and CDs so check out their new store!
Happy Holidays to everyone at BMF!
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Monday, November 02, 2009
Lev Termem, also known as Leon Theremin, died in Russia on November 3rd, 1993.
His invention of the theremin has been key to all of us. It's survival through the years into our times was dependent
on the inspiration and hard work of
other great individuals like
Bob Moog and
Clara Rockmore whose lives were touched by Lev and his work. Like ripples in a pond,
it is up to us to continue and expand
on what Lev started back in 1917 when our wonderful instrument was born.
In his forward to
THEREMIN: ETHER MUSIC AND ESPIONAGE
by Albert Glinsky, Bob Moog wrote:
""Around this time, the documentary filmmaker Steven Martin contacted me.
He told me that he planned to produce a feature-length documentary film on Theremin's life and work,
and he asked for my assistance. He wanted to film Clara Rockmore as she played her theremin in public,
but her instrument was not working at the time, and in fact had not been working for several years.
Martin asked me to come to Ms.. Rockmore's apartment to help restore her instrument.
The opportunity to work on an instrument that Leon Theremin himself had built was too attractive to resist,
so I agreed to do it. I arrived at Mrs. Rockmore's apartment with my tool kit and test equipment on a Friday.
Michael Jansen (Mrs. Rockmore's regular technician) and I completely dismantled her instrument.
We found many components that were faulty and had to be replaced. By Sunday afternoon we had reassembled the
instrument. Mrs. Rockmore then tried it by playing a few notes. "No" she said impatiently, "it doesn't play right".
Michael and I reset some internal adjustments, and Mrs. Rockmore tried the instrument again.
"No, it's still not right" she said. Once again, we reset the adjustments. Mrs. Rockmore tried a few notes,
then proceeded with George Gershwin's "Summertime" from beginning to end. At the end, tears were in her eyes.
She turned to us and said "I was afraid I would never be able to play that instrument again."
At that moment I sensed a strong spiritual connection with Leon Theremin, a feeling that remains with me even now.
I consider that that moment was the high point of my professional career.""
Thank you Lev, we remember and we'll carry it on!
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Sunday, August 30, 2009
This weekend saw the world premier of the first exhibition from the Moog Foundation Archives,
Waves of Inspiration: The Legacy of Moog at the The Museum of Making Music - A Division of the NAMM Foundation in Carlsbad, California. This in depth exhibition wow-ed the private preview visitors.
It's not up for long but you can still catch a live stream today! "Conversations in the Key of Moog" with Brian Kehew and Larry Fast. Just go to the www.MuseumOfMakingMusic.org at 1:00PM PST (4:00PM EST) to see the live video.
Congratulations to the
Moog Foundation,
Make Waves, be inspired and keep the Moog legacy alive! |
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Friday, August 14, 2009
Saturday is Lev Termen's birthday. Man! where would we be without him?
He was born was born August 15, 1896 in Russia.
According to Albert Glinsky's book, Theremin: ETHER MUSIC AND ESPIONAGE,
around 1920 when Lev Termen, as a young man, was
newly accepted to work in the Physico-Technical Institute his first
project assignment involved using the body as a capacitor which could interfere
with an electrical circuit without touching it and set off a signal
to create the first invisible burglar alarm.
Lev's next assignment was to
measure gas fluctuations using the harmonics of a tuned circuit, or
oscillator, and the oscillator issued a whistling note that changed in
pitch as the properties of the gas ("aether") changed. He noticed
that as he moved his hand towards and away from the circuit the pitch
rose and fell. These first two practical jobs given to him at the
Institute became the basis of his greatest invention: the theremin.
During his time in the United States his name was Leon Thermein,
and the rest as they say, is history.
Do you have any theremin fun planned this weekend to celebrate?
Thank you Lev! |
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Friday, May 08, 2009
This Sunday, May 10, will mark the eleventh year since the passing of our greatest thereminist: Clara
Rockmore.
She has been an inspiration to many of us, and I'll remember her this weekend with a special sense of
thankfulness for her tremendous legacy for the Theremin and efforts in many diverse human and social issues.
If Clara's legacy is still new to you,
there is a lot of information at the
Nadia Reisenberg/Clara Rockmore Foundation,
here in ThereminWorld News
and on our
Clara Spot Page,
Wikipedia (which also lists her recordings and the Moog video)
and at ThereminVox.
In Her honor, I hope all our members can get some quality aether music time this weekend.
And remember, no matter what, Keep On Playing!
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Friday, April 24, 2009
[ Updated. Here is the link to the eBay Auction]
TW member theremaniac (and long time owner of Mischa Tulin's Theremin), and ThereminVox.com, helped assemble some information on this important, but somewhat forgotten Thereminist of the early days.
“”
Mischa Tulin was born in Russia and schooled in piano and composition at the Imperial Conservatory of Music in Petrograd. He came to New York at the onset of the Russian revolution c. 1917. During the late 1920s, while working for RCA Victor, he was sent to Russia to persuade Professor Theremin to come to the US so RCA could benefit from his electronic knowledge. [Fact conformation needed here.] It was around this time that he was introduced to the Theremin.
In 1930 at the request of Professor Theremin he took up the study of the new space controlled musical instrument and received many invitations to appear as soloist with some of the finest musical organizations in the country. He volunteered much of his time giving free concerts and participated in the Chautauqua traveling circuit of adult education and entertainment movement popular in the late 18th and early 20th century. He often played Theremin with his wife Helen at the piano.
Tulin even appeared on Broadway in 1952 providing the off stage spooky sound effects for the play ‘Mrs. McThing’, staring Helen Hayes and featuring the stage debuts of Ed Gwynn and Earnest Borgnine. The sound design was revolutionary for the time and was controlled by four pan pots connected to a speaker in each corner of the auditorium so the ‘voice’ of the ghost provided by Mischa’s Theremin could seemingly revolve around the whole theater. [ed. It is mind blowing how everything old becomes new again!]“"
Now, theremaniac is going to sell this unique and historical instrument, his auction on Ebay is scheduled to start on May first and he's posting the information about it in the TW Forum.
Theremaniac forwarded some details about the Tulin Theremin:
 
“”The cabinet is custom made with tiny wood inlay. This may have been done by Mr. Tulin’s friend who was a master craftsmen in order to provide a separate two piece Theremin for easy travel. One story says the power supply caught fire in an Arabian country and their woodworker fashioned a replacement cabinet. There is no evidence of fire damage or any replacement of parts at all on the chassis. The story of a substitute for the volume control tube as mentioned by [renowned American theremin expert] Howard Mossman is true. It has a different tube that has a very slow reaction. It is in working order and is a work of art as well.“”
More information on Tulin is available at ThereminVox.com.
Thanks theremaniac for the great information and best of luck with your auction!
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Monday, March 09, 2009
 Photo S.J.Sherman
Today would have been Clara Rockmore's 98th birthday.
She was born Clara Reisenberg, in Vilnius, Lithuania, and left us in 1998, we miss her dearly and thereminists around the world still benefit from her legacy.
Clara in a Traditional Costume
Many of us were introduced to Clara Rockmore by the 1991 documentary, Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey. The film depicts the history changing meeting (and later reunion) of Clara and Lev Termen (Leon Theremin), we see brief clips of Clara's 18th birthday party where she enjoys a magical rotating birthday cake made for her by The Inventor.
Clara and Lev on her birthday (from a home movie)
Clara was a strong proponent of the use of the theremin for classical music. Her recordings continue astound and inspire listeners today.
Fortunately for theremin players everywhere, Clara also left behind a video interview, recorded in 1976 (available from Moog Music) featuring her sister Nadia Reisenberg performing with her, and a theremin method book. In 2004 the Nadia Reisenberg/Clara Rockmore Foundation was established to promote and continue the work of these remarkable sister virtuosas.
As you're practicing today, take a moment to remember Clara and her mastery and dedication to the instrument we all love.
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Sunday, February 01, 2009
The timeline of electronic music is illustrated with recordings and videos in
OHM+ the early gurus of electronic music Special Edition 3CD + DVD
from Ellipsis Arts.
Our beloved Theremin is recognized and given it's proud place at the dawn of
electronic instruments.
The New York Times called the set “a tidy history of a messy tradition”.
The very first track is Clara Rockmore playing Tchaikovsky's Valse Sentimentale! The three CDs are accompanied by a DVD of videos; a mix of interviews, performances, early video art pieces,
electronic collaborations, and animations.
Everything in the collection seems as inovative, and in some cases still astounding, as the day they were made.
Video DVD includes excerpts from:
Clara Rockmore's The World’s Greatest Theremin Virtuosa,
Paul Lansky’s Lesson With Leon Theremin (a video by George Lewis), and
Moog: A Documentary Film by Hans Fjellestad
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