Theremin

Lev Sergeyevich Termen, known in the West as Léon Theremin, developed an electronic instrument that came to bear his name. The Lemelson–MIT Program describes an early prototype of his aetherphone in 1918 and records a public demonstration to Russian physicists in 1920. In the United States, Theremin received patent US 1,661,058 for a method and apparatus for generating sounds; the patent was published in 1928. Early commercial instruments were also known as thereminvox.

A typical theremin has two antennas. The performer moves one hand near the upright antenna to change pitch and the other near a loop antenna to control volume. The player does not touch the instrument; changing hand positions alters the electrical conditions sensed by its circuits, shaping the sound. Small, controlled movements are needed to produce stable notes, while continuous motion can create the instrument’s characteristic pitch glides. The electronic signal is amplified and sent to a speaker.

Theremin performed his instrument in concert settings, and the instrument later gained recognition through the work of virtuoso Clara Rockmore. Its unusual, wavering tone made it a memorable feature of some science-fiction film scores, including The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), and it is heard in the Beach Boys’ recording Good Vibrations. The theremin also helped establish the idea of an instrument whose sound is generated and controlled electronically.