About the theremin

One of the earliest electronic musical instruments, the theremin was invented in 1919 by Russian scientist Lev Sergievitch Termen, known in the West as Léon Theremin. Developed as part of a Russian research program on proximity sensors, the musical applications of the device were soon noticed, and in 1928 Mr. Theremin made a deal with RCA to produce a commercial version, of which approximately 500 units were made.

The RCA theremin was a self-contained unit, with the antennas, oscillators, and amplifier all contained in a wooden console mounted on four legs. An external speaker (also made by RCA) completed the package. But despite RCA’s efforts to promote the machine as an instrument anyone could play, it was not a commercial success. Users found the theremin difficult to play, since it required not only a well-developed sense of pitch, but also extreme physical dexterity for control of pitch and volume. Real musicality was achievable however. Clara Rockmore, a Lithuanian who emigrated to the United States in 1921, was the leading virtuoso in the 1930’s and 40’s, and gave classical music concerts that showed the possibilities of the instrument. Her 1977 album “The Art of the Theremin” (Delos) is an excellent introduction to the theremin and to Rockmore’s impressive artistry.

Though the theremin’s success as a musical instrument was limited, the eerie sound it produces have kept it in demand for movie soundtracks. Films such as “The Ten Commandments,” “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound” showed off the theremin’s ability to evoke a sense of other-worldliness. Theremin credits for these and many other films went to Dr. Samuel Hoffman, an LA podiatrist who had known Leon Theremin in New York and continued to play and perform after moving to California in 1941.

One of the best-known uses of the theremin is in the Beach Boys’ hit “Good Vibrations.” But the instrument actually played on the record isn’t a theremin, but a close relative developed by Paul Tanner and Bob Whitsell in the late 1950’s called the Electro-Theremin. In place of the theremin’s pitch antenna, the Electro-Theremin used a mechanical linkage and sliding surface to control an oscillator, making pitch easier to control.

The resurgence in interest in the theremin can largely be credited to synthesizer Bob Moog, whose own interest in the history and art of the theremin began when he began building theremins as a high school student. Moog acknowledged that his experience with the theremin led to the development of his own synthesizer, and his company Moog Music produces one of the most popular modern theremins, under the brand name “Etherwave.”