[Trombone-l] Fw: Theremin Redux

[Bill Dinwiddie]

Hi Jay,

According to the film, Theremin was definitely kidnapped, as a witness was 
present during the abduction. This may or may not be the truth. I believe 
the first use of the instrument in a major movie was in "Spellbound" in 
1945. It's use in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" really got the ball 
rolling for the Theremin as "the sound" for science fiction and horror 
movies. Bernard Hermann wrote the great score for 2 Theremins, one of which 
was played by Dr. Samuel Hoffman. I don't know who played the other one. 
There was no overdubbing in those days (1951), so there had to be a second 
player.

I agree about Clara Rockmore. Her playing in the film shows great 
sensitivity and she was also able to articulate very well on it, so 
everything she played didn't have that "glissy" sound. Apparently there was 
another "virtuoso", who was Theremin's cousin Lydia Kavina, who was 
something of a prodigy, and at the age of 9 began to study with Theremin 
himself in Moscow.

How did your performance of the Theremin piece go? What composition and who 
wrote it?

It seems to me that trombonists would make great Thereminists, as we are 
always dealing with the necessity of making pitches happen with no buttons, 
keys or valves. We know where that note has to be, just from the muscle 
memory, and it looks like that's what you would have to do to play the 
Theremin well (at least in the right hand). The left hand controls volume 
and articulation, I believe. It would be a kick to play around with one for 
a while. Are they expensive?

Best regards,

Bill


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Samuel Keyser" <keyser at MIT.EDU>
To: "Bill Dinwiddie" <billdin at comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Theremin Redux


>I saw the movie, Bill.  It was excellent.  I remember a small point  about 
>Theremin's going to Russia which perhaps the book clears up.   Theremin 
>apparently just disappeared from New York.  It wasn't clear  whether he was 
>kidnapped, blackmailed, or went back of his own accord  and was then thrown 
>in prison and forced to work on electronic  projects.  See Solzhenitzhen's 
>"The First Circle" for a description  of what that was like.
>
> Also, I play in an experimental jazz orchestra called Aardvark.  We  did a 
> piece at MIT about a month ago that featured the Theremin.  It  was played 
> by Brian Robeson, a composer on the MIT music faculty.   Really a terrific 
> instrument, I thought, but I've never heard anyone  play it with the 
> virtuosity of Clara Rockmore.  I think the first  time it was used in this 
> country was by the Beach Boys, no?  The tune  about "strange vibrations." 
> I think it was also in "The Day the  Earth Stood Still," the Michael 
> Rennie movie, but I'm sure you knew  all that.
>
> Best,
>
> Jay
>
>
> On Jun 2, 2006, at 3:47 PM, Bill Dinwiddie wrote:
>
>> Just to add that I found a very good link on Google regarding the 
>> Theremin.
>> Looks like an excellent source:
>>
>> http://www.theremin.info/
>>
>> Bill Dinwiddie
>>
>>
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