Theremin: Difference between revisions
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{{About|the instrument|the inventor|Léon Theremin}} |
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{{Infobox Instrument |
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| name = Theremin |
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| background = electronic |
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| image = Etherwave Theremin Kit.jpg |
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| image_capt = An Etherwave-Theremin, assembled from Robert Moog's kit: the loop antenna on the left controls the volume while the upright antenna controls the pitch |
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| hornbostel_sachs = 53 |
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| hornbostel_sachs_desc = [[Electrophone]] |
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| inventors = [[Léon Theremin]] |
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| developed = 1919 |
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}} |
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{{ listen |
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| filename = Epro theremin middle bach.ogg |
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| title = Epro theremin in middle range |
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| description = [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J. S. Bach's]] [[Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring]] played by Italian thereminist Fabio Pesce on a Moog Etherwave theremin. |
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}} |
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The '''theremin''' ({{IPA-en|ˈθɛrəmɪn|}}<ref>[http://www.thereminworld.com/faq.asp Theremin World]</ref>), originally known as the '''aetherphone'''/'''etherophone''', '''thereminophone'''<ref>The London Mercury Vol.XVII No.99 1928</ref> or '''termenvox'''/'''thereminvox''' is an early [[electronic musical instrument]] controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor [[Léon Theremin]], who patented the device in 1928. The controlling section usually consists of two metal [[antenna (radio)|antennas]] which sense the position of the player's hands and control [[oscillation|oscillators]] for [[frequency]] with one hand, and [[amplitude]] ([[volume (sound)|volume]]) with the other, so it can be played without being touched. The electric [[signal (electrical engineering)|signals]] from the theremin are [[amplifier|amplified]] and sent to a [[loudspeaker]]. |
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The theremin is associated with a very [[wiktionary:eerie|eerie]] sound, which has led to its use in [[movie soundtrack]]s such as [[Miklos Rozsa]]'s for ''[[Spellbound (1945 film)|Spellbound]]'' and ''[[The Lost Weekend (film)|The Lost Weekend]]'' and [[Bernard Herrmann]]'s for ''[[The Day the Earth Stood Still (soundtrack)|The Day the Earth Stood Still]]'' and as the theme tune for the ITV drama ''[[Midsomer Murders]]''. Theremins are also used in concert music (especially [[Experimental music|avant-garde]] and 20th- and 21st-century [[Contemporary classical music|new music]]) and in popular music genres such as [[rock music|rock]]. [[Psychedelic rock]] bands in particular, such as [[Hawkwind]], have often used the theremin in their work. |
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== History == |
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{{See also|Léon Theremin}} |
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The theremin was originally the product of Russian government-sponsored research into [[proximity sensor]]s. The instrument was invented by a young Russian physicist named Lev Sergeivich Termen (known in the West as [[Léon Theremin]]) in October 1920<ref name="Glinsky">{{Cite book |last=Glinsky |first=Albert |title=Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage |location=Urbana, Illinois | publisher=University of Illinois Press |year=2000 |isbn=0-252-02582-2 |page=26 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=6DHlQJcMpBQC&printsec=frontcover |ref= Glinsky}}</ref> after the outbreak of the [[Russian civil war]]. After positive reviews at [[Moscow]] [[electronics]] conferences, Theremin demonstrated the device to [[Bolshevik]] leader [[Vladimir Lenin]]. Lenin was so impressed with the device that he began taking lessons in playing it,<ref>[http://www2.unt.se/avd/1,1786,MC=5-AV_ID=629334,00.html UNT: Strupsång, theremin och vägen inåt].</ref> commissioned six hundred 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 the [[United States]], where he patented his invention in 1928 ({{US patent |1661058|US1661058}}). Subsequently, Theremin granted commercial production rights to [[RCA]]. |
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Although the RCA Thereminvox (released immediately following the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929|Stock Market Crash of 1929]]), was not a commercial success, it fascinated audiences in America and abroad. [[Clara Rockmore]], a well-known thereminist, toured to wide acclaim, performing a classical repertoire in concert halls around the United States, often sharing the bill with [[Paul Robeson]]. |
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During the 1930s [[Lucie Bigelow Rosen]] was also taken up with the theremin and together with her husband [[Walter Bigelow Rosen]] provided both financial and artistic support to the development and popularisation of the instrument.<ref>[[#Glinsky|Glinsky]] pp.127-128</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thereminvox.com/|title=The Theremin|date=May 9, 2007|publisher=Thereminvox|accessdate=13 July 2010|quote=financially supported Léon Theremin's work|accessdate=2010-07-13}}</ref> |
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In 1938, Theremin left the United States, though the circumstances related to his departure are in dispute. Many accounts claim he was taken from his [[New York City]] apartment by KGB agents,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A520831 ''Tell Me More'', BBC, h2g2 project, Undated].Accessed:05-20-2008.</ref> taken back to the [[Soviet Union]] and made to work in a ''[[sharashka]]'' laboratory prison camp at Magadan, Siberia. He reappeared 30 years later. In his 2000 biography of the inventor, ''Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage'', [[Albert Glinsky]] suggested the Russian had fled to escape crushing personal debts, and was then caught up in Stalin's political purges. In any case, Theremin did not return to the United States until 1991.<ref>[[#Glinsky|Glinsky]] pp.185-187,329</ref> |
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[[Image:Moog Theremin Bausatz.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The components of a modern [[Moog Music|Moog]] theremin, in kit form.]] |
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After a flurry of interest in America following the end of the [[World War II|Second World War]], the theremin soon fell into disuse with serious musicians, mainly because newer electronic instruments were introduced that were easier to play. However, a niche interest in the theremin persisted, mostly among electronics enthusiasts and kit-building hobbyists. One of these electronics enthusiasts, [[Robert Moog]], began building theremins in the 1950s, while he was a high-school student. Moog subsequently published a number of articles about building theremins, and sold theremin kits which were intended to be assembled by the customer. Moog credited what he learned from the experience as leading directly to his groundbreaking [[synthesizer]], the [[Moog synthesizer|Moog]]. |
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Since the release of the film ''[[Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey]]'' in 1994, the instrument has enjoyed a resurgence in interest and has become more widely used by contemporary musicians. Even though many theremin sounds can be approximated on many modern synthesizers, some musicians continue to appreciate the expressiveness, novelty and uniqueness of using an actual theremin. The film itself has garnered excellent reviews.<ref>[http://www.mrqe.com/movies?q=Theremin MRQE - Movie Review Query Engine - Theremin], see also the rare 100% score at [http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/theremin_an_electronic_odyssey/ Rotten Tomatoes]</ref> |
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Today [[Moog Music]], Dan Burns of soundslikeburns.com, Chuck Collins of theremaniacs.com<ref name="Theremin Comparison Chart">{{citation | publisher = Tom Farrel | url = http://theremin.tomfarrell.org/buyThereminFeatureChart.html | title = Theremin Comparison Chart}}.</ref> Wavefront Technologies, Kees Enkelaar<ref>{{citation | publisher = Tom Farrel | url = http://theremin.tomfarrell.org/buyTheremin.html#Kees | title = A review for the Enkelaar Theremin (and others)}}.</ref> and Harrison Instruments manufacture performance-quality theremins. Theremin kit building remains popular with electronics buffs; kits are available from Moog Music, Theremaniacs, Harrison Instruments,<ref>{{citation | title = Harrison Instruments | url = http://www.harrisoninstruments.com/}}.</ref> [[PAiA Electronics]], and [[Jaycar]]. On the other end of the scale, many low-end Theremins, some of which have only pitch control, are offered online and offline, sometimes advertised as toys. |
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== Operating principles == |
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The theremin is almost unique among musical instruments in that it is played without physical contact. The musician stands in front of the instrument and moves his or her hands in the proximity of two metal antennas. The distance from one antenna determines frequency (pitch), and the distance from the other controls amplitude (volume). Most frequently, the right hand controls the pitch and the left controls the volume, although some performers reverse this arrangement. Some low-cost theremins use a conventional, knob operated volume control and have only the pitch antenna. While commonly called antennas, they are not used for receiving or broadcasting radio frequency, but act as plates in a capacitor. |
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The theremin uses the [[heterodyne]] principle to generate an audio signal. The instrument's pitch circuitry includes two [[radio frequency]] [[oscillator]]s. One oscillator operates at a fixed frequency. The frequency of the other oscillator is controlled by the performer's distance from the pitch control antenna. The performer's hand acts as the [[ground (electricity)|grounded]] plate (the performer's body being the connection to ground) of a [[variable capacitor]] in an L-C (inductance-capacitance) circuit, which is part of the oscillator and determines its frequency. |
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(Although the [[capacitance]] between the performer and the instrument is on the order of [[Farad|picofarad]]s or even hundreds of femtofarads, the circuit design gives a useful frequency shift.) The difference between the frequencies of the two oscillators at each moment allows the creation of a difference tone in the [[audio frequency]] range, resulting in audio signals that are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker. |
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To control volume, the performer's other hand acts as the grounded plate of another variable capacitor. In this case, the capacitor detunes another oscillator; that detuning is processed to change the attenuation in the amplifier circuit. The distance between the performer's hand and the volume control antenna determines the capacitance, which regulates the theremin's volume.<ref>{{cite web |
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|title= RCA Theremin circuit diagram |
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|url=http://www.pavekmuseum.org/theremin/theop.html |
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}}</ref> |
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Modern circuit designs often simplify this circuit and avoid the complexity of two heterodyne oscillators by having a single pitch oscillator, akin to the original theremin's volume circuit. This approach is usually less stable and cannot generate the low frequencies that a heterodyne oscillator can. Better designs (e.g. Moog, Theremax) may use two pairs of heterodyne oscillators, for both pitch and volume. |
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== Performance technique == |
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Easy to learn but difficult to master, theremin performance presents two challenges: reliable control of the instrument's pitch with no guidance (no keys, valves, frets, or finger-board positions), and minimizing undesired [[portamento]] that is inherent in the instrument's continuously-variable-pitch design. |
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Pitch control is challenging because, like a violin or trombone, a theremin can generate tones of any pitch throughout its entire range, including those that lie between the conventional notes. And, unlike all other instruments, the theremin has no physical feedback (other than sound), like string tension or the tactile fingerboard for strings, or air column resistance in wind instruments. The player has to rely solely on what is heard, and can only correct a pitch when its volume is not at zero. (Some professional theremin models, including Moog Etherwave Pro, have a pitch-preview feature - i.e. an additional headphone output that allows the pitch to be monitored before the volume is changed.) In the case of some string instruments, the range is divided along the strings by use of length divisions (e.g., frets on a guitar). By contrast, in the case of the theremin, the entire range of pitches is controlled by the distance of the performer's hand or fingers to the pitch antenna in mid-air. Precise control of manual position coupled with an excellent sense of pitch is required, since the oscillator tuning tends to change slowly over time, resulting in changing positions for individual pitches. |
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Because some [[portamento]] is inevitable in theremin performance and because only the most experienced performers can reduce it to an inconspicuous level, the theremin repertoire of beginner/intermediate players is limited to compositions that were written to be performed [[legato]], especially those for voice or continuously-variable-pitch instruments, and in which it is acceptable or even traditional to include some degree of portamento and [[glissando]]. Examples of works well suited for performance on the theremin include [[Jules Massenet|Massenet]]'s ''[[Méditation (Thaïs)|Thaïs-Méditation]]''{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}<!-- This piece is actually not well-suited due to its use of arpeggios and other over-the-string techniques --> (originally for violin), [[Sergei Rachmaninoff|Rachmaninoff]]'s ''[[Vocalise (Rachmaninoff)|Vocalise]]'', and [[Camille Saint-Saëns|Saint-Saëns]]' ''[[Le cygne]]'' (''The Swan'') (originally for violoncello). |
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Using rapid and exact hand movements, however, highly skilled players can reduce undesired portamento and glissando to a level enabling them to play individual notes and even achieve [[staccato]] effects. Small and rapid movements of the hands can create tremolo or vibrato effects. Although pitch is governed primarily by the distance of the performer's hand to the pitch antenna, most precision thereminists augment their playing techniques with a system called "aerial fingering," largely devised by [[Clara Rockmore]] and subsequently adapted by [[Léon Theremin]] and his protege, [[Lydia Kavina]]. It employs specific hand and finger positions to alter slightly the amount of capacitance relative to the pitch antenna to produce small changes in tone quickly and in a manner that can be reliably and quickly reproduced. |
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An alternate and controversial "hands on" technique is called "angling." In this method the pitch control hand is actually set on the top of the theremin, thus violating the "no touch" creed of traditionalists. The performer changes the angle of the hand and fingers to alter the pitch and repositions the hand if the pitch interval is too large for "angling." Touching the instrument dampens the effect of extraneous movement on pitch. This permits the use of steady pitches without vibrato and without the performer's remaining perfectly still. An alternate to touching the instrument is to rest the elbow of the pitch arm on a tripod while standing, or the arm of a chair, or one's knees while seated in order to provide a steady reference point and pivot for the arm allowing for steady pitch play over the entire pitch range. |
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Equally important in theremin articulation is the use of the volume control antenna. Unlike touched instruments, where simply halting play or damping a resonator silences the instrument, the thereminist must "play the rests, as well as the notes," as Ms. Rockmore observes.<ref>[http://www.thereminvox.com/article/articleview/21/1/22/ Theremin Vox - In Clara's Words]</ref> Although volume technique is less developed than pitch technique, some thereminists have worked to extend it, especially [[Pamelia Kurstin]] with her "[[walking bass]]" technique<ref>[http://www.ted.com/talks/pamelia_kurstin_plays_the_theremin.html Pamelia Kurstin plays the Theremin]. Kurstin shows the technique about 3 minutes into the video</ref> and Rupert Chappelle. |
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Skilled players who overcome these challenges by a precisely controlled combination of movements can achieve complex and expressive performances, and thus realize a theremin's potential. |
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Some thereminists in the [[avant-garde]] openly rebel against developing any formalized technique, viewing it as imposing traditional limitations on an instrument that is inherently free form. These players choose to develop their own highly personalized techniques. Other [[avant-garde]] players use strict form and techniques other than aerial fingering. The question of the relative value of formal technique versus free form performances were hotly debated among thereminists. Theremin artist Anthony Ptak uses antenna [[Electromagnetic interference|interference]] in live performance. |
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Recent versions of the theremin have been functionally updated: the Moog Ethervox, while functionally still a theremin, can also be used as a [[MIDI controller]], and as such allows the artist to control any MIDI-compatible synthesizer with it, using the theremin's continuous pitch to drive modern synths.<ref>[http://www.moogmusic.com/theremin/?section=product&product_id=11. Etherwave Theremins<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Harrison Instruments Model 302 Theremin uses horizontal plates to control pitch and volume requiring techniques other than "aerial fingering". |
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== Uses == |
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=== Concert music === |
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[[Image:Lydia kavina.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|[[Lydia Kavina]], [[protégée]] of [[Léon Theremin]] and instructor to other thereminists.]] |
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Concert composers who have written for theremin include [[Bohuslav Martinů]],<ref name="mr">{{cite web|url=http://www.moderecords.com/catalog/076theremin.html|title=Lydia Kavina Music from the Ether|publisher=Mode Records|accessdate=16 April 2010}}</ref> [[Percy Grainger]],<ref name="mr"/> [[Christian Wolff (composer)|Christian Wolff]],<ref name="mr"/> [[Joseph Schillinger]],<ref name="mr"/> [[Moritz Eggert]],<ref name="discogs">{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Barbara-Buchholz-Lydia-Kavina-Kammerensemble-Neue-Musik-Berlin-Touch-Dont-Touch-Works-For-Theremin/release/1025250|title=Barbara Buchholz / Lydia Kavina / Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin - Touch! Don't Touch! - Works For Theremin|publisher=discogs.com|accessdate=16 April 2010}}</ref> [[Iraida Yusupova]],<ref name="discogs"/> [[Jorge Antunes (composer)|Jorge Antunes]],<ref name="mr"/> [[Vladimir Komarov]]<ref name="mr"/> and [[Anis Fuleihan]].<ref name="bc">{{cite web|url=http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Fuleihan-Anis.htm|title=Anis Fuleihan (Composer, Arranger)|date=2007-06-10|publisher=bach-cantatas.com|accessdate=16 April 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SD1E Amazon.com: Ionisation: Thomas Arne, Ludwig van Beethoven, Edward Elgar, Anis Fuleihan, Edgard Varese, Arturo Toscanini, Henry J. Wood, Jean Sibelius, Leopold Stokowski, Nicolas Slonimsky, Wilhelm Furtwängler, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Clara Rockmore: Music<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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Musician [[Jean Michel Jarre]] used the instrument in his concert [[Space of Freedom]]<ref>http://www.jeanmicheljarre.com/live-o-graphy/gdansk-2005</ref> in [[Gdańsk]], providing also a short history of Léon Theremin's life. |
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=== Popular music === |
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<!-- Please do not add any more before discussing them on the talk page! Only events and bands with relevance for theremin history should be added here. Use citations to verify relevance, uncited entries will be removed.--> |
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<!-- Please use citations that note and discuss the use of a theremin by each popular musician or band that is included here. For example, a source such as http://www.theremin.nl/scriptie/ (in Dutch, the English translation http://www.theremin.nl/scriptie/eng/enindex.html is incomplete) discussed a few not mentioned here such as: Fay Lovsky, and Matthias Sauer's cataloguing of uses in pop music. It is not sufficient to link to a youtube video where a theremin, or a pitch-only theremin appears, with no further commentary. --> |
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Theremins and theremin-like sounds started to be incorporated into [[popular music]] from the end of the 1940s (with a series of [[Samuel Hoffman]]/[[Harry Revel]] collaborations)<ref>''Music out of the Moon'', Harry Revel, conducted by Les Baxter, Capitol Records Nr. T390, released 1947</ref> and this continued, with varying popularity, to the present.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Theremin |title=IEEEGHN: The Theremin |publisher=[[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers|IEEE]] |year=2008 |accessdate=2008-10.22}}</ref><!-- includes a list maybe useful for any future list article --> |
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While [[The Beach Boys]]' "[[Good Vibrations]]" features an instrument that sounds much like a Theremin, in fact the sound is made by an instrument called the [[Electro-Theremin|Tannerin]].<ref>http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html</ref> |
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<!-- Please do not add any more before discussing them on the talk page! --> |
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[[Jimmy Page]] of [[Led Zeppelin]] used a variation of the theremin (minus the loop) during performances of "[[Whole Lotta Love]]" and "[[No Quarter (song)|No Quarter]]" throughout the performance history of Led Zeppelin, an extended multi-instrumental solo featuring theremin and bowed guitar in 1977, as well as the soundtrack for [[Death Wish II]] released in 1982. [[Brian Jones (musician)|Brian Jones]] of [[The Rolling Stones]] also used the instrument on the group's 1967 albums "[[Between the Buttons]]" and "[[Their Satanic Majesties Request]]".<ref>[http://online.physics.uiuc.edu/courses/phys498pom/Student_Projects/Spring01/JMehl/Jared_Mehl_Theremin1.pdf A Simple Theremin Project]. ''[[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]]''.</ref> |
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[[Lothar and the Hand People]], formed in Denver in 1965, used a Theremin (named "Lothar") onstage and on their LP.<ref>http://www.lotharandthehandpeople.com/</ref> |
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<!-- Please do not add any more before discussing them on the talk page! See also inline notes at beginning of section!--> |
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The Lothars are a Boston-area band formed in early 1997 whose CDs have featured as many as four theremins played at once—a first for pop music.<ref>{{Cite news |
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| last=Pomerantz |
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| first=Dorothy |
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| author-link=Dorothy Pomerantz |
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| title=The Lothars revive the spooky sounds of the theremin |
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| newspaper=[[Somerville Journal]] |
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| date=September 17, 1998}} |
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</ref><ref>[[#Glinsky|Glinsky]] p.341</ref> |
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<!-- Please do not add any more before discussing them on the talk page! See also inline notes at beginning of section!--> |
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Although credited with a "Thereman" [''sic''] on the "Mysterons" track from the album ''Dummy'', [[Portishead (band)|Portishead]] actually used a monophonic synthesizer to achieve theremin-like effects, as confirmed by [[Adrian Utley]], who is credited as playing the instrument; he has also created similar sounds on the songs "Half Day Closing", "Humming", "The Rip" and "Machine Gun".<ref>[http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/jun95/portishead.html?print=yes Interview with Adrian Utley on Soundonsound, June 1995]</ref> |
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<!-- Please do not add any more before discussing them on the talk page! Only events and bands with relevance for theremin history should be added here. Use citations to verify relevance, uncited entries will be removed.--> |
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=== Film music === |
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[[File:Carolina Eyck Performing.jpg|frame|[[Carolina Eyck]] performing the Spellbound Concerto by [[Miklós Rózsa]] with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin]] |
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The Russian [[Dmitri Shostakovich]] was one of the first composers to include parts for the theremin in orchestral pieces, including a use in his score for the 1931 film ''[[Odna]]''. While the theremin was not widely used in [[European classical music|classical music]] performances, the instrument found great success in many motion pictures, notably, ''[[Spellbound (1945 film)|Spellbound]]'', ''[[The Red House (1947 film)|The Red House]]'', ''[[The Lost Weekend (film)|The Lost Weekend]]'' (all three of which were written by [[Miklós Rózsa]], the composer who pioneered the use of the instrument in Hollywood scores), ''[[The Spiral Staircase]]'', ''[[The Day the Earth Stood Still]]'', ''[[The Thing (From Another World)]]'', ''[[The Ten Commandments (1956 film)|The Ten Commandments]]'' (the 1956 DeMille film). The theremin is prominent in the score for the 1956 short film "A Short Vision"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkhNED3-mnI |title=A Short Vision |work=youtube }}</ref> which was aired on "The Ed Sullivan Show" the same year used by the Hungarian composer Matyas Seibel. More recent appearances in film scores include ''[[Monster House]]'', ''[[Ed Wood (film)|Ed Wood]]'' and ''[[The Machinist]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361862/fullcredits |title=Full cast and crew for Maquinista, El |accessdate=2007-09-01 |work=Internet Movie Database }}</ref> (both featuring [[Lydia Kavina]]). The DVDs for ''Ed Wood'', ''Bartleby'' and ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' and ''Spellbound'' ([[Criterion Collection]]) include short features on the theremin. Robby Virus, the founder and theremin player of the band Project:Pimento, was featured on the soundtrack to the movie ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]]'' (2004).<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167190/ ''Hellboy''] cast list</ref> |
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A theremin was ''not'' used for the soundtrack of ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'', for which [[Louis and Bebe Barron]] built "disposable" oscillator circuits and a [[ring modulator]] to create the "electronic tonalities" for the film.<ref name="MovieDiva-Forbidden-Planet">{{cite web |
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| title = Forbidden Planet |
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| publisher = MovieDiva |
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| url = http://www.moviediva.com/MD_root/reviewpages/MDForbiddenPlanet.htm |
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| accessdate = 2006-08-16 |
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}}</ref><ref name=MGroovesFP>Notes about film soundtrack and CD, [http://www.moviegrooves.com/shop/forbiddenplanetsoundtrack.htm MovieGrooves-FP]</ref> |
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Los Angeles-based thereminist Charles Richard Lester is featured on the soundtrack of ''[[Monster House (film)|Monster House]]''<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385880/ imdb details for "Monster House"]</ref> and has performed the US premiere of [[Gavriil Nikolayevich Popov|Gavriil Popov's]] 1932 score for ''Komsomol—Patron of Electrification'' with the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic|L. A. Philharmonic]] and [[Esa-Pekka Salonen]] in 2007.<ref>[http://www.laphil.com/music/piece_detail.cfm?id=2377 L. A. Philharmonic concert details]</ref> |
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=== Television === |
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* Apart from a few episodes where an [[electric organ]] or [[synthesizer]] were used, the theremin-like sound on the original [[Star Trek]] theme was actually provided by renowned studio soprano [[Loulie Jean Norman]] until her voice was removed in later seasons.<ref>{{cite book |coauthors=[[Herbert Solow]], [[Robert H. Justman]] |title=Inside Star Trek The Real Story |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=1997 |month=June |pages=351–352 |isbn=0-671-00974-5}}</ref> Soprano Elin Carlson sang part of the theme when CBS-Paramount TV remastered the program's title sequence in 2006.<ref>[http://www.elincarlson.com/ Elin Carlson's website, Undated.] Accessed: 05-20-2008.</ref> |
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* The British television series ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' uses a theremin in its popular theme tune as well as frequently in underscore. The theremin part is played by Celia Sheen.<ref> |
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{{Cite journal |last=Maxwell |first=Francis |title=Hands off for gripping theremin concert in Barnes |url=http://www.makingmusiclondon.com/london-harmony/PDFs/2005-may.pdf |format=PDF |journal=London Harmony |date=May 2005 |page=6 |accessdate=2009-09-11}}</ref> |
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* In May 2007, the [[White Castle (restaurant)|White Castle]] American hamburger restaurant chain introduced a television ad<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlmxvkfpHhQ White Castle Ad on YouTube]</ref> featuring a theremin performance by musician Jon Bernhardt of the band ''The Lothars''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Laban |first=Linda |author-link=Linda Laban |title=The geek who captured the Castle |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |pages=C4,C8 |date=May 7, 2007 |url=http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/05/07/the_geek_who_captured_the_castle/}}</ref> |
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* In October 2008, comedian, musician and theremin enthusiast [[Bill Bailey]] played a theremin during his performance of Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, which has subsequently been televised. He has previously also written an article<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2004/oct/15/4 Bill Bailey's Weird Science Guardian article, Oct 2004]</ref>, presented a radio show<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/goodvibrations.shtml Good Vibrations: The Story of the Theremin, Oct 2004]</ref> and incorporated the theremin in some of his televised comedy tours. |
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* On January 6, 2011, episode 12 of season 4 of [[The Big Bang Theory (TV series)|The Big Bang Theory]] features [[Sheldon Cooper]], played by [[Jim Parsons]], tries to sabotage [[Leonard Hofstadter| Leonard's]] [[differential equation]] [[smartphone]] [[Application software| app]] project by playing a theremin while he works, causing Leonard to kick him out of the apartment. |
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* In May 2011, [[Homer Scissorhands|episode 20 of season 22]] of [[The Simpsons]] was aired. This episode features Millhouse wooing Lisa with a love song in the school cafeteria using a theremin. The segment ends with Principal Skinner commenting how purchasing a theremin was a great investment for the school. |
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=== Books === |
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* The theremin is used as a literary device in [http://www.scribd.com/doc/17667734/Constellations-for-Theremin "Constellations for Theremin"] by [[Andrew Joron]].<ref>"Constellations for Theremin," in Andrew Joron, ''Fathom'' (New York: Black Square Editions, 2003).</ref> |
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=== Video games === |
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* Composer [[Garry Schyman]] used a Theremin for the musical score of the 2005 videogame ''[[Destroy All Humans!]]''<ref>[http://music.ign.com/articles/628/628770p2.html IGN Interview]</ref> |
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* [[Lydia Kavina]]'s solo theremin is featured on the soundtrack for the 2006 [[MMORPG]] computer game ''[[Soul of the Ultimate Nation]]'', composed by [[Howard Shore]].<ref>[http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/ode-to-joystick/68875/ GameDaily: "Ode to Joystick"]</ref> |
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* The ''[[Homestar Runner]]'' character [[List of Homestar Runner characters#Homsar|Homsar]] plays a theremin in the 2008 [[point-and-click adventure game]] ''[[Baddest of the Bands|Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People - Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands]].<ref>[http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Instruments#Homsar.27s_Instruments Homsar's Instruments - Homestar Runner Wiki]</ref> |
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== Similar instruments == |
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*The [[Ondes-Martenot]] also uses the principle of heterodyning oscillators, but has a keyboard as well as a slide controller and is touched while playing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thomasbloch.net/en_ondes-martenot.html|title=ONDES MARTENOT **** THOMAS BLOCH --- the instrument : videos, pictures, works, facts...|last=Bloch|first=Thomas|authorlink=Thomas Bloch|accessdate=11 March 2010}}</ref> |
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*The [[Electro-Theremin]] (or ''Tannerin'' after [[Paul Tanner]] who played it in several productions including three tracks for [[The Beach Boys]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Tannerin 2004 |url=http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html |accessdate=2010-01-22}}</ref>), built by Bob Whitsell in the 1950s,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Paul Tanner Electro-Theremin Page |url=http://www.electrotheremin.com/etfaq.htm |accessdate=2010-01-22}}</ref> does not use heterodyning oscillators and has to be touched while playing, but it allows continuous variation of the frequency range and sounds similar to the theremin. |
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*The [[Persephone (musical instrument)|Persephone]], an analogue fingerboard synthesizer with CV and MIDI, inspired by the [[trautonium]]. The Persephone allows continuous variation of the frequency range from 1 to 10 octaves. The ribbon is pressure and position sensitive. |
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* The [[Electronde]], invented in 1929 by Martin Taubman, has an antenna for pitch control, a handheld switch for [[articulation (music)|articulation]] and a foot pedal for volume control.<ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=11280 Taubman demonstrates his Electronde. Stills and a downloadable video at British Pathe news archive]. 1938-12-12.</ref> |
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* The [[Syntheremin]] is an extension of the theremin. |
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* The [[Croix Sonore]] (Sonorous Cross), is based on the theremin. It was developed by Russian composer [[Nikolai Obukhov|Nicolas Obouchov]] in France, after he saw Lev Theremin demonstrate the theremin in 1924. |
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* The [[terpsitone]], also invented by Theremin, consisted of a platform fitted with space-controlling antennae, through and around which a dancer would control the musical performance. By most accounts, the instrument was nearly impossible to control. Of the three instruments built, only the last one, made in 1978 for Lydia Kavina, survives today. |
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*The [[Z.Vex Effects]] Fuzz Probe, Wah Probe and Tremolo Probe, using a theremin to control said effects. The Fuzz Probe can be used as a theremin, as it can through feedback oscillation create tones of any pitch. |
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* The [[Haken Continuum]] Fingerboard uses a continuous, flat playing surface along which the player slides his fingers to create the desired pitch and timbre values. Describable as "a continuous pitch controller that resembles a keyboard, but has no keys." |
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* The [[MC-505]] by Roland being able using the integrated [[D-Beam]]-sensor like a Theremin. |
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* The [[Otamatone]] by the Cube Works company which is played by sliding the fingers up and down a stem to control a three-level pitch sound. |
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* The [[Audiocubes]] by Percussa are light emitting smart blocks which have 4 sensors on each side. The sensors measure the distance to your hands to control an effect or sound<ref>{{Cite web | title = Percussa AudioCubes| url=http://www.percussa.com/2011/06/07/create-a-drone-synth-using-audiocubes-and-maxmsp/ }}</ref> |
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== See also == |
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* [[American Museum of Radio and Electricity]], which features a theremin that visitors can play. |
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* The [[Exploratorium]] in San Francisco has a restored RCA Theremin playable by visitors. |
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* The [[Pacific Science Center]] also has a theremin on display that guests can try to play. It is located in the lobby of the [[Boeing]] [[IMAX]] Theater building. |
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* The [[Stockholm Music Museum|Music Museum]] in Stockholm, Sweden has a theremin that visitors can play. |
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* The first theremin concert for aliens in the [[Teen Age Message]] sent to space. |
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== References == |
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* [http://www.thereminfamily.org Theremin Family] |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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=== Publications === |
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* Rockmore, Clara (1998). ''Method for Theremin''. Edited by David Miller & Jeffrey McFarland-Johnson. Made publicly available at [http://www.electrotheremin.com/claramethod.html Clara Rockmore Method for Theremin<!-- Bot generated title -->] [pdf] |
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* {{Cite book |
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| first = Carolina |
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| last = Eyck |
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| title = The Art of Playing the Theremin |
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| publisher = SERVI Verlag |
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| location = Berlin |
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| isbn = 3-933757-08-8 |
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| year = 2006 |
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}} |
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* {{Cite book |
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| last = Glinsky |
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| first = Albert |
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| title = Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage |
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| location = Urbana, Illinois |
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| publisher = University of Illinois Press |
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| year = 2000 |
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| isbn = 0-252-02582-2 |
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}} |
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=== Film and video === |
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*{{Cite video |
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| people = Martin, Steven M. (Director) |
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|date = 1995 |
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| title = Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey. |
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| url = |
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| medium = Film and DVD |
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| location = |
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| publisher = Orion/MGM |
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}} |
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*{{Cite video |
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| people = Olsen, William (Director) |
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|date = 1995 |
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| title = Mastering the Theremin |
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| url = |
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| medium = Videotape (VHS) and DVD |
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| location = |
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| publisher = Moog Music and Little Big Films |
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}} |
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== External links == |
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{{External links|date=January 2010}} |
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{{Commons category}} |
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=== Portals and general information === |
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* [http://www.thereminworld.com/ ThereminWorld.com] |
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* [http://www.thereminvox.com/ ThereminVox.com] |
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* [http://theremin.ca/ TECI]: Theremin Enthusiasts Club International |
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* [http://www.theremin.info/ Theremin.info] |
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* [http://www.etheremin.com/ Etheremin]: Theremin website for the French speaking |
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* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/kinetic-arts/sculpture/gallery7/1.htm The Solar Powered Theremin (Heliophone)] |
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=== Further information === |
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* [http://www.ageofaudio.com/en/hardware/a-scuola-di-theremin/ A course in Theremin] Basic Theremin information and an interview with Italian thereminist Fabio Pesce. |
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* [http://lirego.narod.ru/____1.html Leon Theremin by Lirego!] |
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* [http://www.oddmusic.com/theremin/ oddmusic.com theremin page] |
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* [http://www.peterpringle.com/ Canadian singer and thereminist Peter Pringle's Theremin website, with pictures, audio, and text] |
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* [http://www.1377731.com/hoffman/ Dr. Samuel Hoffman, Hollywood's premiere thereminist] |
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* [http://theremin.us/ Art's Theremin Page]: Complete construction plans for solid state and vacuum tube theremins |
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* [http://blt.razendit.hu/blog/?p=21#respond CamTheremin]: A freeware program simulating theremin with your webcamera. |
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* [http://www.hoge-theremin.com/salon/hoge-what-is-a-theremin.html What Is A Theremin?] |
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* [http://theremin.us/200/wien.html THE WIEN-BRIDGE THEREMIN] This page contains a good, basic explanation of the physics and electronics behind a heterodyne [[Wien bridge oscillator|Wien Bridge]] theremin. Also contains design schematic of the parts of a heterodyne Wien Bridge theremin. |
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* [http://harrisoninstruments.com/302/302_description.html The Harrison Instruments Model 302 Theremin] A battery operated horizontal plate theremin with a seven octave range. |
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=== Audio and Video === |
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* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSzTPGlNa5U Clara Rockmore playing "The Swan" (Saint-Saëns)] |
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* [http://www.ted.com/talks/pamelia_kurstin_plays_the_theremin.html Ted.com]: Pamelia Kurstin plays and discusses her theremin |
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* [http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=326982 Theremin Music Gaining Popularity] - Audio: KPLU's Bellamy Pailthorp reports. |
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*[http://www.pekkanini.se Pekkanini] Swedish composer and thereminist |
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*[http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EE47B27D7CAC12EF&ref=nf Examples of "angling" technique using the Model 302 theremin while seated] (Rupert Chappelle) |
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*[http://spellbound.purplenote.com ''Spellbound, a brief program of music for theremin''] - weekly Internet radio program playing music featuring the theremin, offers audio and video podcasts |
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*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypwRSPDv3OI YouTube Theremin Guide - A video with 70+ links to theremin websites, books, lessons, theremin makers, and thereminists around the globe] |
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[[Category:Russian inventions]] |
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Revision as of 23:54, 9 August 2011
Electronic instrument | |
---|---|
Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 53 (Electrophone) |
Inventor(s) | Léon Theremin |
Developed | 1919 |
The theremin (/ˈθɛrəmɪn/[1]), originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone[2] or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928. The controlling section usually consists of two metal antennas which sense the position of the player's hands and control oscillators for frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other, so it can be played without being touched. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker.
The theremin is associated with a very eerie sound, which has led to its use in movie soundtracks such as Miklos Rozsa's for Spellbound and The Lost Weekend and Bernard Herrmann's for The Day the Earth Stood Still and as the theme tune for the ITV drama Midsomer Murders. Theremins are also used in concert music (especially avant-garde and 20th- and 21st-century new music) and in popular music genres such as rock. Psychedelic rock bands in particular, such as Hawkwind, have often used the theremin in their work.
History
The theremin was originally the product of Russian government-sponsored research into proximity sensors. The instrument was invented by a young Russian physicist named Lev Sergeivich Termen (known in the West as Léon Theremin) in October 1920[3] after the outbreak of the Russian civil war. After positive reviews at Moscow electronics conferences, Theremin demonstrated the device to Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin. Lenin was so impressed with the device that he began taking lessons in playing it,[4] commissioned six hundred 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 the United States, where he patented his invention in 1928 (US1661058). 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, a well-known thereminist, toured to wide acclaim, performing a classical repertoire in concert halls around the United States, often sharing the bill with Paul Robeson.
During the 1930s Lucie Bigelow Rosen was also taken up with the theremin and together with her husband Walter Bigelow Rosen provided both financial and artistic support to the development and popularisation of the instrument.[5][6]
In 1938, Theremin left the United States, though the circumstances related to his departure are in dispute. Many accounts claim he was taken from his New York City apartment by KGB agents,[7] taken back to the Soviet Union and made to work in a sharashka laboratory prison camp at Magadan, Siberia. He reappeared 30 years later. In his 2000 biography of the inventor, Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage, Albert Glinsky suggested the Russian had fled to escape crushing personal debts, and was then caught up in Stalin's political purges. In any case, Theremin did not return to the United States until 1991.[8]
After a flurry of interest in America following the end of the Second World War, the theremin soon fell into disuse with serious musicians, mainly because newer electronic instruments were introduced that were easier to play. However, a niche interest in the theremin persisted, mostly among electronics enthusiasts and kit-building hobbyists. One of these electronics enthusiasts, Robert Moog, began building theremins in the 1950s, while he was a high-school student. Moog subsequently published a number of articles about building theremins, and sold theremin kits which were intended to be assembled by the customer. Moog credited what he learned from the experience as leading directly to his groundbreaking synthesizer, the Moog.
Since the release of the film Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey in 1994, the instrument has enjoyed a resurgence in interest and has become more widely used by contemporary musicians. Even though many theremin sounds can be approximated on many modern synthesizers, some musicians continue to appreciate the expressiveness, novelty and uniqueness of using an actual theremin. The film itself has garnered excellent reviews.[9]
Today Moog Music, Dan Burns of soundslikeburns.com, Chuck Collins of theremaniacs.com[10] Wavefront Technologies, Kees Enkelaar[11] and Harrison Instruments manufacture performance-quality theremins. Theremin kit building remains popular with electronics buffs; kits are available from Moog Music, Theremaniacs, Harrison Instruments,[12] PAiA Electronics, and Jaycar. On the other end of the scale, many low-end Theremins, some of which have only pitch control, are offered online and offline, sometimes advertised as toys.
Operating principles
The theremin is almost unique among musical instruments in that it is played without physical contact. The musician stands in front of the instrument and moves his or her hands in the proximity of two metal antennas. The distance from one antenna determines frequency (pitch), and the distance from the other controls amplitude (volume). Most frequently, the right hand controls the pitch and the left controls the volume, although some performers reverse this arrangement. Some low-cost theremins use a conventional, knob operated volume control and have only the pitch antenna. While commonly called antennas, they are not used for receiving or broadcasting radio frequency, but act as plates in a capacitor.
The theremin uses the heterodyne principle to generate an audio signal. The instrument's pitch circuitry includes two radio frequency oscillators. One oscillator operates at a fixed frequency. The frequency of the other oscillator is controlled by the performer's distance from the pitch control antenna. The performer's hand acts as the grounded plate (the performer's body being the connection to ground) of a variable capacitor in an L-C (inductance-capacitance) circuit, which is part of the oscillator and determines its frequency. (Although the capacitance between the performer and the instrument is on the order of picofarads or even hundreds of femtofarads, the circuit design gives a useful frequency shift.) The difference between the frequencies of the two oscillators at each moment allows the creation of a difference tone in the audio frequency range, resulting in audio signals that are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker.
To control volume, the performer's other hand acts as the grounded plate of another variable capacitor. In this case, the capacitor detunes another oscillator; that detuning is processed to change the attenuation in the amplifier circuit. The distance between the performer's hand and the volume control antenna determines the capacitance, which regulates the theremin's volume.[13]
Modern circuit designs often simplify this circuit and avoid the complexity of two heterodyne oscillators by having a single pitch oscillator, akin to the original theremin's volume circuit. This approach is usually less stable and cannot generate the low frequencies that a heterodyne oscillator can. Better designs (e.g. Moog, Theremax) may use two pairs of heterodyne oscillators, for both pitch and volume.
Performance technique
Easy to learn but difficult to master, theremin performance presents two challenges: reliable control of the instrument's pitch with no guidance (no keys, valves, frets, or finger-board positions), and minimizing undesired portamento that is inherent in the instrument's continuously-variable-pitch design.
Pitch control is challenging because, like a violin or trombone, a theremin can generate tones of any pitch throughout its entire range, including those that lie between the conventional notes. And, unlike all other instruments, the theremin has no physical feedback (other than sound), like string tension or the tactile fingerboard for strings, or air column resistance in wind instruments. The player has to rely solely on what is heard, and can only correct a pitch when its volume is not at zero. (Some professional theremin models, including Moog Etherwave Pro, have a pitch-preview feature - i.e. an additional headphone output that allows the pitch to be monitored before the volume is changed.) In the case of some string instruments, the range is divided along the strings by use of length divisions (e.g., frets on a guitar). By contrast, in the case of the theremin, the entire range of pitches is controlled by the distance of the performer's hand or fingers to the pitch antenna in mid-air. Precise control of manual position coupled with an excellent sense of pitch is required, since the oscillator tuning tends to change slowly over time, resulting in changing positions for individual pitches.
Because some portamento is inevitable in theremin performance and because only the most experienced performers can reduce it to an inconspicuous level, the theremin repertoire of beginner/intermediate players is limited to compositions that were written to be performed legato, especially those for voice or continuously-variable-pitch instruments, and in which it is acceptable or even traditional to include some degree of portamento and glissando. Examples of works well suited for performance on the theremin include Massenet's Thaïs-Méditation[citation needed] (originally for violin), Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, and Saint-Saëns' Le cygne (The Swan) (originally for violoncello).
Using rapid and exact hand movements, however, highly skilled players can reduce undesired portamento and glissando to a level enabling them to play individual notes and even achieve staccato effects. Small and rapid movements of the hands can create tremolo or vibrato effects. Although pitch is governed primarily by the distance of the performer's hand to the pitch antenna, most precision thereminists augment their playing techniques with a system called "aerial fingering," largely devised by Clara Rockmore and subsequently adapted by Léon Theremin and his protege, Lydia Kavina. It employs specific hand and finger positions to alter slightly the amount of capacitance relative to the pitch antenna to produce small changes in tone quickly and in a manner that can be reliably and quickly reproduced.
An alternate and controversial "hands on" technique is called "angling." In this method the pitch control hand is actually set on the top of the theremin, thus violating the "no touch" creed of traditionalists. The performer changes the angle of the hand and fingers to alter the pitch and repositions the hand if the pitch interval is too large for "angling." Touching the instrument dampens the effect of extraneous movement on pitch. This permits the use of steady pitches without vibrato and without the performer's remaining perfectly still. An alternate to touching the instrument is to rest the elbow of the pitch arm on a tripod while standing, or the arm of a chair, or one's knees while seated in order to provide a steady reference point and pivot for the arm allowing for steady pitch play over the entire pitch range.
Equally important in theremin articulation is the use of the volume control antenna. Unlike touched instruments, where simply halting play or damping a resonator silences the instrument, the thereminist must "play the rests, as well as the notes," as Ms. Rockmore observes.[14] Although volume technique is less developed than pitch technique, some thereminists have worked to extend it, especially Pamelia Kurstin with her "walking bass" technique[15] and Rupert Chappelle.
Skilled players who overcome these challenges by a precisely controlled combination of movements can achieve complex and expressive performances, and thus realize a theremin's potential.
Some thereminists in the avant-garde openly rebel against developing any formalized technique, viewing it as imposing traditional limitations on an instrument that is inherently free form. These players choose to develop their own highly personalized techniques. Other avant-garde players use strict form and techniques other than aerial fingering. The question of the relative value of formal technique versus free form performances were hotly debated among thereminists. Theremin artist Anthony Ptak uses antenna interference in live performance.
Recent versions of the theremin have been functionally updated: the Moog Ethervox, while functionally still a theremin, can also be used as a MIDI controller, and as such allows the artist to control any MIDI-compatible synthesizer with it, using the theremin's continuous pitch to drive modern synths.[16] The Harrison Instruments Model 302 Theremin uses horizontal plates to control pitch and volume requiring techniques other than "aerial fingering".
Uses
Concert music
Concert composers who have written for theremin include Bohuslav Martinů,[17] Percy Grainger,[17] Christian Wolff,[17] Joseph Schillinger,[17] Moritz Eggert,[18] Iraida Yusupova,[18] Jorge Antunes,[17] Vladimir Komarov[17] and Anis Fuleihan.[19][20]
Musician Jean Michel Jarre used the instrument in his concert Space of Freedom[21] in Gdańsk, providing also a short history of Léon Theremin's life.
Popular music
Theremins and theremin-like sounds started to be incorporated into popular music from the end of the 1940s (with a series of Samuel Hoffman/Harry Revel collaborations)[22] and this continued, with varying popularity, to the present.[23]
While The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" features an instrument that sounds much like a Theremin, in fact the sound is made by an instrument called the Tannerin.[24] Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin used a variation of the theremin (minus the loop) during performances of "Whole Lotta Love" and "No Quarter" throughout the performance history of Led Zeppelin, an extended multi-instrumental solo featuring theremin and bowed guitar in 1977, as well as the soundtrack for Death Wish II released in 1982. Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones also used the instrument on the group's 1967 albums "Between the Buttons" and "Their Satanic Majesties Request".[25]
Lothar and the Hand People, formed in Denver in 1965, used a Theremin (named "Lothar") onstage and on their LP.[26] The Lothars are a Boston-area band formed in early 1997 whose CDs have featured as many as four theremins played at once—a first for pop music.[27][28]
Although credited with a "Thereman" [sic] on the "Mysterons" track from the album Dummy, Portishead actually used a monophonic synthesizer to achieve theremin-like effects, as confirmed by Adrian Utley, who is credited as playing the instrument; he has also created similar sounds on the songs "Half Day Closing", "Humming", "The Rip" and "Machine Gun".[29]
Film music
The Russian Dmitri Shostakovich was one of the first composers to include parts for the theremin in orchestral pieces, including a use in his score for the 1931 film Odna. While the theremin was not widely used in classical music performances, the instrument found great success in many motion pictures, notably, Spellbound, The Red House, The Lost Weekend (all three of which were written by Miklós Rózsa, the composer who pioneered the use of the instrument in Hollywood scores), The Spiral Staircase, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing (From Another World), The Ten Commandments (the 1956 DeMille film). The theremin is prominent in the score for the 1956 short film "A Short Vision"[30] which was aired on "The Ed Sullivan Show" the same year used by the Hungarian composer Matyas Seibel. More recent appearances in film scores include Monster House, Ed Wood and The Machinist[31] (both featuring Lydia Kavina). The DVDs for Ed Wood, Bartleby and The Day the Earth Stood Still and Spellbound (Criterion Collection) include short features on the theremin. Robby Virus, the founder and theremin player of the band Project:Pimento, was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Hellboy (2004).[32]
A theremin was not used for the soundtrack of Forbidden Planet, for which Louis and Bebe Barron built "disposable" oscillator circuits and a ring modulator to create the "electronic tonalities" for the film.[33][34]
Los Angeles-based thereminist Charles Richard Lester is featured on the soundtrack of Monster House[35] and has performed the US premiere of Gavriil Popov's 1932 score for Komsomol—Patron of Electrification with the L. A. Philharmonic and Esa-Pekka Salonen in 2007.[36]
Television
- Apart from a few episodes where an electric organ or synthesizer were used, the theremin-like sound on the original Star Trek theme was actually provided by renowned studio soprano Loulie Jean Norman until her voice was removed in later seasons.[37] Soprano Elin Carlson sang part of the theme when CBS-Paramount TV remastered the program's title sequence in 2006.[38]
- The British television series Midsomer Murders uses a theremin in its popular theme tune as well as frequently in underscore. The theremin part is played by Celia Sheen.[39]
- In May 2007, the White Castle American hamburger restaurant chain introduced a television ad[40] featuring a theremin performance by musician Jon Bernhardt of the band The Lothars.[41]
- In October 2008, comedian, musician and theremin enthusiast Bill Bailey played a theremin during his performance of Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, which has subsequently been televised. He has previously also written an article[42], presented a radio show[43] and incorporated the theremin in some of his televised comedy tours.
- On January 6, 2011, episode 12 of season 4 of The Big Bang Theory features Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons, tries to sabotage Leonard's differential equation smartphone app project by playing a theremin while he works, causing Leonard to kick him out of the apartment.
- In May 2011, episode 20 of season 22 of The Simpsons was aired. This episode features Millhouse wooing Lisa with a love song in the school cafeteria using a theremin. The segment ends with Principal Skinner commenting how purchasing a theremin was a great investment for the school.
Books
- The theremin is used as a literary device in "Constellations for Theremin" by Andrew Joron.[44]
Video games
- Composer Garry Schyman used a Theremin for the musical score of the 2005 videogame Destroy All Humans![45]
- Lydia Kavina's solo theremin is featured on the soundtrack for the 2006 MMORPG computer game Soul of the Ultimate Nation, composed by Howard Shore.[46]
- The Homestar Runner character Homsar plays a theremin in the 2008 point-and-click adventure game Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People - Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands.[47]
Similar instruments
- The Ondes-Martenot also uses the principle of heterodyning oscillators, but has a keyboard as well as a slide controller and is touched while playing.[48]
- The Electro-Theremin (or Tannerin after Paul Tanner who played it in several productions including three tracks for The Beach Boys[49]), built by Bob Whitsell in the 1950s,[50] does not use heterodyning oscillators and has to be touched while playing, but it allows continuous variation of the frequency range and sounds similar to the theremin.
- The Persephone, an analogue fingerboard synthesizer with CV and MIDI, inspired by the trautonium. The Persephone allows continuous variation of the frequency range from 1 to 10 octaves. The ribbon is pressure and position sensitive.
- The Electronde, invented in 1929 by Martin Taubman, has an antenna for pitch control, a handheld switch for articulation and a foot pedal for volume control.[51]
- The Syntheremin is an extension of the theremin.
- The Croix Sonore (Sonorous Cross), is based on the theremin. It was developed by Russian composer Nicolas Obouchov in France, after he saw Lev Theremin demonstrate the theremin in 1924.
- The terpsitone, also invented by Theremin, consisted of a platform fitted with space-controlling antennae, through and around which a dancer would control the musical performance. By most accounts, the instrument was nearly impossible to control. Of the three instruments built, only the last one, made in 1978 for Lydia Kavina, survives today.
- The Z.Vex Effects Fuzz Probe, Wah Probe and Tremolo Probe, using a theremin to control said effects. The Fuzz Probe can be used as a theremin, as it can through feedback oscillation create tones of any pitch.
- The Haken Continuum Fingerboard uses a continuous, flat playing surface along which the player slides his fingers to create the desired pitch and timbre values. Describable as "a continuous pitch controller that resembles a keyboard, but has no keys."
- The MC-505 by Roland being able using the integrated D-Beam-sensor like a Theremin.
- The Otamatone by the Cube Works company which is played by sliding the fingers up and down a stem to control a three-level pitch sound.
- The Audiocubes by Percussa are light emitting smart blocks which have 4 sensors on each side. The sensors measure the distance to your hands to control an effect or sound[52]
See also
- American Museum of Radio and Electricity, which features a theremin that visitors can play.
- The Exploratorium in San Francisco has a restored RCA Theremin playable by visitors.
- The Pacific Science Center also has a theremin on display that guests can try to play. It is located in the lobby of the Boeing IMAX Theater building.
- The Music Museum in Stockholm, Sweden has a theremin that visitors can play.
- The first theremin concert for aliens in the Teen Age Message sent to space.
References
- ^ Theremin World
- ^ The London Mercury Vol.XVII No.99 1928
- ^ Glinsky, Albert (2000). Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. p. 26. ISBN 0-252-02582-2.
- ^ UNT: Strupsång, theremin och vägen inåt.
- ^ Glinsky pp.127-128
- ^ "The Theremin". Thereminvox. May 9, 2007. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
financially supported Léon Theremin's work
- ^ Tell Me More, BBC, h2g2 project, Undated.Accessed:05-20-2008.
- ^ Glinsky pp.185-187,329
- ^ MRQE - Movie Review Query Engine - Theremin, see also the rare 100% score at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Theremin Comparison Chart, Tom Farrel.
- ^ A review for the Enkelaar Theremin (and others), Tom Farrel.
- ^ Harrison Instruments.
- ^ "RCA Theremin circuit diagram".
- ^ Theremin Vox - In Clara's Words
- ^ Pamelia Kurstin plays the Theremin. Kurstin shows the technique about 3 minutes into the video
- ^ Etherwave Theremins
- ^ a b c d e f "Lydia Kavina Music from the Ether". Mode Records. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Barbara Buchholz / Lydia Kavina / Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin - Touch! Don't Touch! - Works For Theremin". discogs.com. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
- ^ "Anis Fuleihan (Composer, Arranger)". bach-cantatas.com. 2007-06-10. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
- ^ Amazon.com: Ionisation: Thomas Arne, Ludwig van Beethoven, Edward Elgar, Anis Fuleihan, Edgard Varese, Arturo Toscanini, Henry J. Wood, Jean Sibelius, Leopold Stokowski, Nicolas Slonimsky, Wilhelm Furtwängler, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Clara Rockmore: Music
- ^ http://www.jeanmicheljarre.com/live-o-graphy/gdansk-2005
- ^ Music out of the Moon, Harry Revel, conducted by Les Baxter, Capitol Records Nr. T390, released 1947
- ^ "IEEEGHN: The Theremin". IEEE. 2008. Retrieved 2008-10.22.
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(help) - ^ http://www.tompolk.com/Tannerin/Tannerin.html
- ^ A Simple Theremin Project. University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
- ^ http://www.lotharandthehandpeople.com/
- ^ Pomerantz, Dorothy (September 17, 1998). "The Lothars revive the spooky sounds of the theremin". Somerville Journal.
- ^ Glinsky p.341
- ^ Interview with Adrian Utley on Soundonsound, June 1995
- ^ "A Short Vision". youtube.
- ^ "Full cast and crew for Maquinista, El". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- ^ Hellboy cast list
- ^ "Forbidden Planet". MovieDiva. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
- ^ Notes about film soundtrack and CD, MovieGrooves-FP
- ^ imdb details for "Monster House"
- ^ L. A. Philharmonic concert details
- ^ Inside Star Trek The Real Story. Simon & Schuster. 1997. pp. 351–352. ISBN 0-671-00974-5.
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ignored (help) - ^ Elin Carlson's website, Undated. Accessed: 05-20-2008.
- ^ Maxwell, Francis (May 2005). "Hands off for gripping theremin concert in Barnes" (PDF). London Harmony: 6. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ White Castle Ad on YouTube
- ^ Laban, Linda (May 7, 2007). "The geek who captured the Castle". The Boston Globe. pp. C4, C8.
- ^ Bill Bailey's Weird Science Guardian article, Oct 2004
- ^ Good Vibrations: The Story of the Theremin, Oct 2004
- ^ "Constellations for Theremin," in Andrew Joron, Fathom (New York: Black Square Editions, 2003).
- ^ IGN Interview
- ^ GameDaily: "Ode to Joystick"
- ^ Homsar's Instruments - Homestar Runner Wiki
- ^ Bloch, Thomas. "ONDES MARTENOT **** THOMAS BLOCH --- the instrument : videos, pictures, works, facts..." Retrieved 11 March 2010.
- ^ "Tannerin 2004". Retrieved 2010-01-22.
- ^ "The Paul Tanner Electro-Theremin Page". Retrieved 2010-01-22.
- ^ Taubman demonstrates his Electronde. Stills and a downloadable video at British Pathe news archive. 1938-12-12.
- ^ "Percussa AudioCubes".
Publications
- Rockmore, Clara (1998). Method for Theremin. Edited by David Miller & Jeffrey McFarland-Johnson. Made publicly available at Clara Rockmore Method for Theremin [pdf]
- Eyck, Carolina (2006). The Art of Playing the Theremin. Berlin: SERVI Verlag. ISBN 3-933757-08-8.
- Glinsky, Albert (2000). Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-02582-2.
Film and video
- Martin, Steven M. (Director) (1995). Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (Film and DVD). Orion/MGM.
- Olsen, William (Director) (1995). Mastering the Theremin (Videotape (VHS) and DVD). Moog Music and Little Big Films.
External links
This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (January 2010) |
Portals and general information
- ThereminWorld.com
- ThereminVox.com
- TECI: Theremin Enthusiasts Club International
- Theremin.info
- Etheremin: Theremin website for the French speaking
- The Solar Powered Theremin (Heliophone)
Further information
- A course in Theremin Basic Theremin information and an interview with Italian thereminist Fabio Pesce.
- Leon Theremin by Lirego!
- oddmusic.com theremin page
- Canadian singer and thereminist Peter Pringle's Theremin website, with pictures, audio, and text
- Dr. Samuel Hoffman, Hollywood's premiere thereminist
- Art's Theremin Page: Complete construction plans for solid state and vacuum tube theremins
- CamTheremin: A freeware program simulating theremin with your webcamera.
- What Is A Theremin?
- THE WIEN-BRIDGE THEREMIN This page contains a good, basic explanation of the physics and electronics behind a heterodyne Wien Bridge theremin. Also contains design schematic of the parts of a heterodyne Wien Bridge theremin.
- The Harrison Instruments Model 302 Theremin A battery operated horizontal plate theremin with a seven octave range.
Audio and Video
- Clara Rockmore playing "The Swan" (Saint-Saëns)
- Ted.com: Pamelia Kurstin plays and discusses her theremin
- Theremin Music Gaining Popularity - Audio: KPLU's Bellamy Pailthorp reports.
- Pekkanini Swedish composer and thereminist
- Examples of "angling" technique using the Model 302 theremin while seated (Rupert Chappelle)
- Spellbound, a brief program of music for theremin - weekly Internet radio program playing music featuring the theremin, offers audio and video podcasts
- YouTube Theremin Guide - A video with 70+ links to theremin websites, books, lessons, theremin makers, and thereminists around the globe