[music blog] Clara Rockmore, theremin virtuoso
I came across an article (in Russian) about theremin, Clara Rockmore, etc.
Music and electricity. Part four: Lev Theremin and his theremin*
...when playing the theremin, movements are carried out in space without contact with the antenna. Can you imagine how difficult it is to play such an instrument?
It must be said that Termen, by the way, a graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory in the cello class (1916), had not yet become a virtuoso of his instrument by the time the People's Commissariat for Education sent him to Europe and the USA.
That’s why in America, after an enthusiastic confession, there was a loud “fie”: they say, you can’t be so shamelessly false. By the way, they blamed the instrument...
But, as it turned out, all these were temporary troubles. A young emigrant from Russia, Clara Reisenberg, takes on the task of mastering the instrument.
She was trained as a violinist, but the hungry years in Russia weakened her hands so much that she could no longer play the violin.
Mastering the theremin did not require any physical effort. So, under the supervision of the inventor, Clara became a true virtuoso in six years.
Click to view*Update 2013: The link is broken.
On the DVD "Mastering The Theremin" that I received with my Moog Etherwave, there is a very interesting footage featuring Robert Moog and Clara Rockmore. They talk about the theremin, and Clara demonstrates her virtuoso technique.
Original text in Russian: https://etherstrings.livejournal.com/1697.html