THEREMIN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COPYRIGHT F. GADEK 05/08/2008 1 THEREMIN EARLIEST ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT FRANK J. GADEK, PH.D.

THEREMIN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

COPYRIGHT F. GADEK 05/08/2008 1

THEREMIN

EARLIEST ELECTRONICMUSICAL INSTRUMENT

FRANK J. GADEK, PH.D.


COPYRIGHT F. GADEK 05/08/2008

2

TOPIC –

“ THEREMINTHEREMIN - -

EARLIEST ELECTRONICEARLIEST ELECTRONIC

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENT ““

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY { “STS” }

BY

FRANK J. GADEK, PH.D.

“ “ STILL INITIAL DRAFT ONLY “ STILL INITIAL DRAFT ONLY “



INVENTED BY RUSSIAN LEV THEREMIN[HE IS ALSO CALLED LEON]IN 1919ALSO CALLED –

THERAMINTHEREMINVOXAETHERPHONE

PLAYED BY NOT TOUCHING IT!

GAVE ETHERIAL SOUND FOUNDIN MANY SPACE ADVENTURE& SCI / FI MOVIES

2 HANDS POSITIONED NEAR2 ANTENNAEONE VERTICLEONE HORIZONTAL



MUCH INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET

INCLUDING BUILDING YOUR OWN FROMRADIO SHACK PARTS

SOME COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE IN THE $400 –$ 700 RANGE ON UP

ROBERT MOOG BEGAN BUILDING THEMIN 1950 & LED HIM TO HISMINIMOOG SYNTHESIZER

MOOG EVEN OFFERS “KITS” TO BUILD THEM

THE HISTORY IS FASCINATING WITHLENIN & STALIN BEINGINVOLVED.

IT WAS PART OF RUSSIAN GOVERNMENTRESEARCH ON PROXIMITY SENSORS



“KITS” TAKE ABOUT A WEEKEND TO BUILD& ARE ABOUT $25 - $100 USINGRADIO SHACK PARTS – YOU HAVETO MAKE YOUR OWN PC BOARDBUT THEY GIVE DETAILED DIRECTIONS& PARTS LIST + HINTS

THE INSTRUMENT IS VERY SENSITIVE& DELICATE TO HAND MOVEMENTS

IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PLAY WELL

THERE IS GREAT “ART” TO PLAYING IT



TRENTON COMPUTER FESTIVAL APRIL 2008

FEATURED THE THEREMIN WITHKIP ROSSER DOING

CONCERTSLECTURES

YOU COULD EVEN TRY IT YOURSELF!



IT WAS NOT A GREAT COMMERCIAL SUCCESSESPECIALLY BEING INTRODUCED IMMEDIATELYAFTER THE STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929

THERE WAS A FLURRY OF INTEREST AFTERWW II BUT THEN IT SUBSIDED

SOME MODERN POPULAR MUSIC GROUPS STILL USE IT WITH MANY OTHERINSTRUMENTS

MOSTLY FOR UNUSUAL EFFECTS &THEIR UNIQUE / DIFFERENTBAND SOUND



SOME THEREMIN ARTISTS ARE –

LYDIA KAVINA – GREATEST LIVINGVIRTUOSO – NEICE OF ONE OF LEON THEREMIN’SFIRST COUSINS & HIS PROTEGE

PAMIELIA KURSTIN

ANTHONY PTAK

CLARA ROCKMORE

CAROLINA EYCK



SOME REFERENCES TO GET YOU STARTED

OBVIOUSLY A GOGGLE SEARCH

WWW.EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WICK/THEREMIN

WWW.OLDTEMECULA.COM/THEREMIN/ULTIMATE2B/INDEX.HTM

WWW.MUSICIANSFRIEND.COM – SEARCH FORTHEREMIN – HAVE THEREMINS &KITS FOR SALE – ABOUT $350 - $400

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/WICK/THEREMIN

http://www.oldtemecula.com/THEREMIN/





HIS LOOKS LIKE ONE

FROM AN AD FOR

THE MOOG THEREMIN

FOR ABOUT $400













TO BE CONTINUED AS TO BE CONTINUED AS

INTEREST &INTEREST &

RESOURCES PERMITRESOURCES PERMIT

JUST LET ME KNOW !JUST LET ME KNOW !

THEREMIN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COPYRIGHT F. GADEK 05/08/2008 1 THEREMIN EARLIEST ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT FRANK J. GADEK, PH.D.

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