Theremin Recognized
Time Magazine
30th December 1929
In Manhattan last week alert listeners at a Philadelphia Orchestra concert
noticed that in the Bach Toccata and Fuge the basses had a new, if perhaps
unneeded, sonority and strength. They had previously speculated about a
strange black cabinet which stood in the orchestra. A few of the curious
investigated afterward, discovered that the cabinet was a variety of the
Theremin ether-wave instrument (TIME, Feb. 6, 1928, et seq.) being used as
a regular, recognized member of the orchestra. The new instrument was made
especially for Conductor Leopold Stokowski, called a Thereminophone and
differed from the better known RCA Theremin in that its tone is controlled
by a fingerboard (rather than by waves of the hand), its volume by a
pedal. Carl Zeise, regular Philadelphia 'cellist who operates it, is one
of several able Theremin soloists—among them Alexandra Stepanoff, who
appeared recently in Chicago, George Goldberg and Zenide Hanenfeldt, who
teaches some 25 Theremin aspirants in Inventor Leon Theremin's Manhattan
studio.
Another feature of the same Stokowski concert: Conductor Stokowski, who
lately railed loudly and publicly against the "barbaric" practice of
applause (TIME, Nov. 18), stepped off his dais when two of his violists
distinguished themselves and happily, forgetfully, led the audience in
palm-smacking.
This article is interesting in that it is the first known mention in print of the Theremin-Cello. See elsewhere on the site for more information on one of Leon Theremin's 'other' instruments.
Categories:
 Concerts  Newspaper & Magazine
|
|
|
