Tonight I was reading a short story by Joe Hill (You Will Hear the Locust Sing, in 20th Century Ghosts) when I came across the word theremin. The Free Dictionary only had this to say:
An electronic instrument played by moving the hands near its two antennas, often used for high tremolo effects.
I didn't give it another thought until I saw a scrap of trivia on Soundscapes (a cable channel that plays ambient music) that said the theremin was developed in 1920 by Leon Theremin. Obviously, I had to do more investigation.
The theremin is "played" without actually touching it; moving a hand close to the vertical antenna increases the pitch, while closing in on the horizontal decreases the volume. The eerie sounds produced by this instrument made it a favorite in 1950s and 60s sci-fi films, including The Day The Earth Stood Still.
Here is a music sample: The Funeral March by Kevin Sinnott
Kevin wrote this song and performed all parts on a Kees Enkelaar theremin.
The photo and music are by way of Theremin World. Should you desire further information, that's the place to be.
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