If you're interested
in the Theremin, there are a few prominent people you'll probably
find interesting and want to know about.
Lev Sergeivich Termin
Otherwise known as Leon Theremin, he was the inventor
of the instrument. A genius nearly beyond belief, in addition to
his namesake instrument and the Theremin Cello, he invented a working
4' projection television years before the TV was officially invented
in the US (with a tiny screen measured in inches), color television
years before black and white TV broadcast began in the US, a burglar
alarm, the "bug", and a variety of other futuristic gadgets
both in his time working as an inventor in New York City and in
his time as a forced laborer for the KGB. A documentary was made
about his life, "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey". While
it contains several points which are somewhat inaccurate (probably
due to mistaken beliefs or faded memory of the people interviewed
in the film, rather than malice), and contains a rather painful
to watch sequence of Brian Wilson making funny noises at the camera,
it is nonetheless a fascinating film and has turned countless people
on to the instrument.
Clara Rockmore
Clara was a young woman who knew Leon Theremin in the 30's. He
encouraged her to learn the instrument and gave her several to
work with, one of which was custom made with improvements to her
specifications. She was a classically trained violinist of astonishing
ability, and after several years of practice in private she emerged
as the finest Thereminist who ever lived. Indeed, Leopold Stokowski
commissioned "Concerto for Theremin and Orchestra" for
her, and no one but her has ever been able to play it.
Clara devoted her career to the advancement of the art of the
Theremin, always playing with both virtuosity and genuine class,
and offering lessons - and tea - to anyone who inquired. She was
also widely loved by all who knew her, and I'd like to note that
she was far, far ahead of her time in being opposed to racism
and prejudice in its many forms. Here is the incomparable Clara
Rockmore, accompanied by her sister, the great pianist Nadia Reisenberg,
giving the definitive performance of the all time classic piece
that practically every serious Thereminist learns, "The Swan",
from "Carnival of the Animals", by Camille St. Saens:
Clara's custom instrument, which she plays in the above video,
is considered by many to be the gold standard of Theremin sounds
which all others should try to emulate, due to its extraordinary
ability to sound like a human voice. Clara's nephew assures us
that this was in large part due to her playing method, and that
it didn't sound anything like that when anyone else played it.
The instrument was left by Clara to Boston area pianist Dalit
Warshaw, a professor at the Boston Conservatory of Music, and
a former student of Clara.
If you like Clara - and who doesn't? - you'll want to buy her
two albums, "The Art of the Theremin" and "Clara
Rockmore's Lost Theremin Album". You can hear "Concerto
for Theremin and Orchestra" on an album called "Ionisation".
Lydia Kavina
Lydia is, if I remember the relationship correctly, Leon
Theremin's grand niece. She learned to play the instrument from
him personally, of course, and is the world's foremost Theremin
instructor. You can hear her on the soundtrack to the film "Ed
Wood". Here she plays "Claire de Lune":
Dr. Robert Moog
The well known inventor of the Moog synthesizer did more
than that: he also almost single handedly saved the Theremin from
obscurity by keeping them in production so ordinary mortals who
don't know how to build one could actually buy one. He also had
the foresight to preserve some record of the extraordinary talent
of Clara Rockmore, and thus repaired her instrument and recorded
her two albums. Today, Moog Music is the leading manufacturer of
Theremin instruments.
Dr. Samuel Hoffman
Dr. Hoffman was a Hollywood area foot doctor, and on the
side he played the Theremin. When a Thereminist was needed for the
film Spellbound, Clara Rockmore was busy, and Dr. Hoffman was the
only available Thereminist listed with the union. He therefore got
the enviable gig of being the only Thereminist working in Hollywood
for most of the 40's through 60's. That's him you heard on Spellbound,
The Lost Weekend, The Day The Earth Stood Still, and many many more
movies.
Canadian thereminist Peter
Pringle has become quite well known for his Theremin recordings
(well, well known as thereminists go anyway) due to his having produced
three CDs of Theremin music, as well as many mp3s he has given away
free on his web site, and a number of videos on youtube. He's the
present owner of Sam Hoffman's 1929 RCA Theremin:
He has also prominently featured contemporary instruments from Moog Music in his recordings:
Did I mention he was a popular singer before he retired from the
stage?
Robby Virus
Robby plays Theremin in the band Project Pimento, which does
lounge music with singer and Theremin. (No, I'm not kidding, they're
actually good.) I won't show you a youtube video of them because
there's only one and the audio is terrible and I don't want to
do them the disservice.
He can also be heard on the soundtrack of the film "Hellboy".
Masami Takeuchi
A student of Lydia Kavina, Masami Takeuchi is the most prominent Thereminist in Japan.