Theremin Cello - The forgotten Theremin

Not all that is rare glitters like gold. Take wine, for example. While some rare wines are the stuff of legend, others are considered, simply put, fancy vinegar. When it comes to rare or unusual instruments, few are of value. Often instruments are rare for a reason! In brief, most fail to achieve that perfect blend of sound, versatility, and playability that music requires. The Theremin cello is, without doubt, amongst the rarest of instruments, but like many that have fallen before, there could be just cause. Still, the story of this unusual and unknown instrument is well worth telling.

Invented in the late 1920's by Leon Theremin, the Theremin Cello, aslo known as the Fingerboard Theremin, has basically been extinct for the last 70 years. There is no record of the number made, though it is clear some may have been destroyed by the Soviets when Theremin was sent into prison camps to work for the Soviet miltary machine. Only two originals are known to exist, and neither one of those have worked for decades.

The Theremin Cello was held in the same manner as a standard cello, but looked rather like the 1930s vision of a robot complete with brass dials and faceplates. Instead of strings, there was a plastic membrane that triggered a tone when pressed, higher notes to the top, lower pitches toward the bottom. In place of a bow, there was a lever controlling the volume. When you pushed the lever down the sound got louder, and when returned to its original position, the sound stopped. On the face of the cello were knobs to control tone and sensitivity. The intrument itself was simply a controller, with a heavy cord running to a box that contained the actual electronics that created the sound and acted as amplifier. Without the box, the Theremin Cello was silent. Without the Theremin Cello, the box was useless, as it would not work with any electric guitar, in spite of its visual similarity to a guitar amp.

For a few years a variation on the Theremin Cello was used by the great conductor Leopold Stokowski as a super low bass in the string section. The stories vary in their details as to why this experiment was discountinued, but it appears that the notes were so low as to make the other musicians in the orchestra sick. From what I know of musicians in classical orchestras, there seems to be a great number of things that make them sick, especially if it has anything to do with the conductor!

Although the Theremin Cello could play a simplified version of many cello pieces, there seems to have been only one piece written specifically for the instrument, Ecuitorial by Varese. It was written in the 1930's for two Theremin Cellos, bass singer, winds and percussion. The first performance was, by all accounts, a disaster due to insufficient rehearsal time given the demanding nature of the music. By the time Varese was ready to try again Leon Theremin had returned to Russia. Varese was devastated as he had hoped to work with Theremin on a refinement of his instrument. By all accounts, this was the last performance of a piece featuring the Cello Theremin.

All this changed when retired toymaker Floyd Engels became interested in the instruments of Leon Theremin. After years of research and effort Engels was able to take the incomplete remains of the two existant Theremin Cellos and use them as a guide in creating ten virtually identical replicas.

On an October evening in 2002 at the University of Buffalo's Amherst Campus, the Theremin Cello was heard again in public for the first time, playing the second performance ever of Varese's Ecuatorial as orginally written. Learn more.

I've owned one of the Engels Theremin Cellos for about one year now, the one you see featured in the two YouTube videos above. Floyd did a wonderful job and was a delight to work with, and though I am delighted to own the instrument I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Theremin and Varese had been able to continue their collabortation on the instrument. For my taste the fingerboard seems fully developed, but the volume lever seems a little clumsy and slow. I can't imagine a cellist, or any instrumentallist for that matter, feeling fully satisfied by its limitations. Perhaps with some adjustment the action on this "bow" will be quicker.

Recommended Videos, Recordings and Links

Theremin Cello is Back - An article with more details regarding the second Ecuatorial performance.

Theremin - You can play, but just don't touch!

It's the soundtrack for the end of the world as we know it, the musical accompaniment to a world where mankind is the main-course in an alien buffet. It's the ethereal sound of robotic benefactors from another world bringing us unimaginable technologies and the end of disease and famine. It's the wavering, piercing, soaring sounds of the Theremin.

Without doubt the Theremin is the great grand-dad of all that we know in electronic music today, from the earliest analog synthesizers of Bob Moog to Midi marvels such as the Continuum Fingerboard. All can trace their roots to the Theremin’s inventor, Russian physicist Leon Theremin (1896-1993).

Developed as early as 1918, it was truly considered unbelievable in it's day, as was seen as yet another sign that with the unfathomable capabilities of electricity and the human mind, science knew no bounds.

Even though the Theremin is celebrating it's 90th birthday this year, it can still boggle the minds of even the most jaded amongst us. Even beyond the mysterious sound, there is the way it's played. There are no strings, reeds, valves, mallets or fingerboard to touch, strike, blow on or into, or pluck. It's not an instrument you touch at all, as when playing the Theremin you are literally flailing your arms in the air, manipulating the unseen elements about two silver antennas.

As seen from the players perspective, the antenna on the left controls volume. As your hand pulls away from the silver loop, the note begins to play, drop your hand back, it stops. As your other hand dances in space toward the upright antenna to the right, the pitch soars up almost beyond the range of hearing. As your right arm pulls back, the dishes in the room begin to rattle from the rich, full, pure bass sounds of the Theremin.

For a short time in the 1930's RCA manufactured and sold Theremins with the promise that they could be played by anyone. They couldn't. Without a clear reference point in space, finding the exact pitch proved impossible. And the spacing between notes, especially in the upper registers, was so close, that merely taking a breath lead to faltering pitch.

Soon the Theremin was forgotten, a relic known only for the spacey wavering soundtrack of a grade B science fiction film, remembered more for it's camp value than it's ability to make music. Every now and then an article in an electronics magazine would offer plans to build your own Theremin, the chance to create your own soundtrack for an unknown world, but they rarely worked.

But in the 1990's something happened to bring the Theremin back from musical oblivion. One factor was certainly the work of electronic music guru Bob Moog, whose early synthesizers made musical history in the hands of Wendy/Walter Carlos. He's been making Theremins since he was a kid, and by the 90's was offering a truly high quality and affordable Theremin. Then there was the movie, "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey", opening the eyes of a new generation to the entire bizarre and almost unbelievable tale of Theremin and his wonderful instrument.

The greatest Theremin player of all time was Clara Rockmore, a crippled violinist who saw a new pathway for music in Theremin's invention. Every time I hear her play this piece, The Swan by Saint-Saens, I am touched.

While there are now perhaps a dozen very good thereminists in the world, there is one that has taken the instrument to a different universe... the unlikely pixie of a performer, Pamelia Kurstin. In the video below be sure to listen to the end to hear her performance of Lush Life. It's an incredibly difficult piece to perform on any instrument. I thought it impossible on the Theremin.

By the way, I can't resist sharing one more version of Lush Life, even though it doesn't feature Theremin. This is, without the question, the best version ever recorded. This song has it all, and this performance brings out every drop of its power. Genius. Heart ache. A universal sense of love and loss. (Please ignore the video to this YouTube clip. It is, without doubt, the world's worst video set to the world's greatest song).

Buy Your Own Theremin

So now you have the Theremin bug and want to give it a try yourself, but what instrument do you buy? It is all subjective, but here are my choices in order of preference. These Theremins all feature antennas for pitch and volume, required for any serious playing. (Theremin Buyers Guide)

Moog Etherwave Theremin Pro - These are no longer being made, but they are well worth trying to find used if you have visions of Theremin grandeur. This is a great instrument capable of playing in any setting, from the concert hall to the VFW hall.

Moog Etherwave Theremin - The Theremin of choice for the casual to moderate performer. Relatively affordable. Keep an eye out for them used on Ebay.

Wavefront Technologies - I've never laid eyes on one, but some reputable experts talk glowingly of the tone and quality of these instruments.

PAIA Theremax - I've never built one, but once, while mentoring a student, he brought me a Theremax he had built. Simply put, it didn't work. That is most likely more a reflection on his lack of patience than on the quality of the instrument. It does have CV outputs for those who are set up for analog synthesis. Affordable.

Other Links

ThereminWorld.com - This is really all you need, a site filled with Theremin info and a Forum. Check out the forum for the latest info, as the website authors enthusiasm seems to have fallen a bit resulting in diminished posts. The forum members are taking up some of the slack.