Theremin is called the most magical instrument. Sounds during the game appear as if out of thin air. On the stage there is a small box-desk, near which the conductor makes passes with his hands. The invention is named after its creator, Lev Termen.
The lingering sounds created while playing a mysterious instrument are like the music of another galaxy. And it’s impossible to rank him in any groups because of the completely new way of producing sound.
Birth of a novelty
Its creator, Lev Sergeevich Termen, after graduating from the conservatory with a degree in cello and physics and mathematics at the university, worked in Ioffe's laboratory, where an amazing instrument called “Termen's voice” was born. In Latin, "vox" means "voice".
The first prototype was created in 1919. According to the inventor's idea, two generators were placed inside a small office. The sound frequency is the difference in vibration frequencies between them. When you bring your hand to the antennas responsible for the pitch and loudness of sounds, the capacity of the field surrounding them changes, the note rises.
The main feature of the novelty is the absence of borders between the notes. Any melodies can be played. The musician made the main task of removing obstacles between the music and the performer. He believed that during the game it was necessary not to extract sounds, but to control them. To improve loudness, the inventor installed a second antenna.
Physicists were interested in the novelty. Theremin visited many cities of the country, in 1927 he was invited to Germany for an exhibition. The instrument became her sensation. A long tour of Europe began. The invention admired the famous composers, they perceived the novelty for performance, first of all, the classics. In America, terpsichon was added to the collection, the sounds on it were created during the performance of movements of the whole body or dance.
Rise of popularity
Theremin's pupils were the famous violinist Clara Rockmore and Lucy Rosen. Soon, the inventor assembled an ensemble that performed with great success at Carnegie Hall. Each of their public appearances was accompanied by innovations and experiments with color music.
The serial production of the theremin began in 1929. In the twenties in the USSR, after the departure of the musician, his invention was slightly modified by Konstantin Kovalsky. He complemented the fantastic novelty with a pedal. With the advent of the ensemble of electro-musical instruments by Vyacheslav Meshcherinov in the fifties, the theremin turned into a symbol of the avant-garde Soviet stage.
For the first time Shostakovich began to write soundtracks for a fantastic invention. The debut was the music in the film "Alone" in 1931. Melodies sounded in many famous films and even in the famous comedy "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession" the theremin worked: he sounded the time machine.
Hollywood was also interested in the technical innovation. In the dream factory, Theremin's invention was transformed into an alien voice. Alfred Hitchcock first took advantage of the novelty in the film "Bewitched" in 1945. Ex-violinist Samuel Hoffman became the main performer of Hollywood. The sound of the instrument was glorified by the painting "The Day the Earth Stood Still".
Since the second half of the twentieth century, the theremin has noticeably moved away from the classics. His own model was proposed in 1953 by engineer Robert Moog. However, mass production degraded the sound quality. Since the seventies, it has been used more often for special effects. It was popular with both Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
New interest
In the new century, a revival of the invention began. Masami Takeuchi introduced a matremin, which provides the performance of melodies on several instruments at the same time.
Over time, "nesting dolls" became "teaching aids" before the transition to the classic theremin. They are deceptively easy, but it is very difficult to find a teacher to teach the game.
And the development of your own technology is not an easy task. But the resurgence of interest in him is growing. The Netherlands proposed to include the first electronic instrument in the conservatory's curriculum. In Russia, the great-grandson of the inventor created the Theremin School, and an annual Theremenlogy festival is held.
"In the air" is played both with a laser harp and suits with sensors, however, as before, the construction of a century ago remains ideal. True, everyone who wants to master it will have to master the art of playing that has been practically lost over the years.
