Re: Theremin (nokh a bisl tsulib dem theremin...)

[Jacob and Nancy Bloom <bloom...>]

One of the earlier posts to this thread described the theremin as having one
coil, and being played by moving both hands relative to the coil.  This is
somewhat different from the description in the issue of Popular Electronics
I got in the '60s, which described the theremin as having two plates, which
functioned as antennas.  The distance of a hand from one plate determined
the pitch, and the distance of a hand from the other plate determined the
volume.

A couple of months ago I heard an interview with the musician who played the
electronic instrument on Good Vibrations.  Apparently he took a theremin and
modified it, giving it something like a keyboard.  This allowed him to hit
specific pitches.  No other of the same design as his were ever made, and he
years ago he donated his instrument to a school for the deaf, to use for
testing hearing.

I wonder - since the theremin is not touched when you play it, would the
ultra-observant allow it to be played on Shabbat?  Given the sound of the
theremin, I find the idea rather unnerving.

Jacob Bloom

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kame'a Media" <media (at) kamea(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2000 2:27 PM
Subject: Re: Theremin (nokh a bisl tsulib dem theremin...)


>
>
> The title of the film about the theremin is:
> "Theremin:  An Electronic Odyssey"
> Dir:  Steve M. Martin
> MGM  (Availalble on viveo).
>
> Pop music fans may recall the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations",
> which included the theremin.
>
> Wolf
>
>

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