Week of 09.20.10
After we took a quick assessment, we began the week with discussing recording mediums before tape. These included wire recordings, phonofilm recording, and disk recording. Phonofilm was developed by Lee De Forest, and is a film based medium that takes snapshots of the audio and reads them for play back with an optic sensor. At the time, disk recording offered higher quality and increased longevity compared to other mediums. This technology led to the development of turntablism, which was introduced into the classical music scene in the 1920s. Because the playback on a turntable is so manipulate able, composers like Hindemith, Varese, and Cage began to compose music for the purpose of recording which could then be manipulated alongside a live orchestra. This is an instance of exploiting the weakness in a technology; the turntable was not meant to be used to alter the pitch and speed of the playback, but this was often how it was used in those early experimentations.
Paul Hindemith would go on to develop and contribute to a new genre of music called Musique Concrete, which came to fruition around 1949. Musique Concrete is music that is based on the found sound concept, and is made up of manipulated recording of everyday sounds like that of a train. The concept behind this style of composition is to reveal the musicality in every day sounds, so that people may better appreciate the beauty of the world we live in. tow other brilliant conceptual minds behind Musique Concrete were Pierre Schaefer (1910 -1995) who was a broadcaster, and Pierre Henry (1927-) who was a percussionist and composer. They collaborated to develop this genre and form the philosophy behind it. Schaefer was a technological innovator who could apply the technology to Henry’s musical composition and sensibly. They would play real world sounds back at different speeds and tempos, reversed, and edited in all kinds of rhythmic ways without instruments or human interface. Schaefer described it as the use of any and all sounds except traditional instruments unless it’s the warped sounds of recorded instruments. The breakdown of harmony, melody, and traditional music theory served to re-conceptualize the abstraction of music notation. Since traditionally music exists abstractly as notes on paper that is then interpreted by musicians and performed, Musique Concrete conversely is purely recorded and manipulated should that inherently is the music, rather that realized music. This would be achieved through looping, sampling, and splicing audio. Musique Concrete is known as the second era of electronic music, and is composing through technological means, using organic, non traditional music sounds that can be replayed identically each time, and can be performed without human involvement.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Week of 09.13.10 Leon Theremin
Professor Leon Theremin was a Russian inventor and man of electronic music exploration. His inventions paved the way for the modern era of electronic music. He was born in Russia in 1896 and died in Russia in 1993 having lived a long and turbulent life. Theremin began working with electronics from an early age, and continued studying electronics through higher education. In the Russian military he attended Military Electronic School and Graduate Electronic School for officers, which landed him a radio oversight position for the Russian military during the first World War and during the Russian Civil War.
In 1920 Theremin invented the Theremin, an electronic instrument that utilizes the electrical capacity of the human body within generated fields. The result is an instrument that does not need to be touched to be played. The Theremin generates a tone through the creation of magnetic fields surrounding a vertical and a horizontal post. The vertical post controls the pitch while the horizontal post controls the volume. This was a whole new kind of instrument unlike any invented before, and it inspired the imaginations of millions. Theremin demonstrated it to Vladimir Lenin, whole began to learn the instrument himself. By touring demonstrations of this new instrument, Theremin eventually ended up in the United States, where he had it patented in 1928. It was here that he stayed and opened a laboratory in New York. During this time he met and worked with individuals like Nicolas Slonimsky, Albert Einstein, Joseph Shillinger, and Clara Rockmore, and invented and perfected numerous other electronic instruments including the Rhythmicon and the Theremin Cello. The Rhythmicon was on of the earliest drum machines and could play multiple rhythmic patterns triggered by a keyboard. By establishing a fundamental pitch, different rhythms were generated based on the addition of notes from that pitch’s series of harmonic overtones. Another invention was the Theremin Cello, which was based on a lot of the same concepts as the Theremin but was played on a cello like instrument with only one string. It had one ribbon running the length of the neck that produced a tone when touched, while the volume was controlled by a lever. Other inventions developed at this time involved motion censor technology based in principle on the Theremin design of magnetic fields. After the Lindberg Baby ordeal, one application of this technology was generating fields in cribs so that if someone tried to reach into it an alarm would go off. This also led to the first motion censors for store fronts in New York City.
During this time in New York Theremin was involved in numerous public performances of the Theremin. At one point an orchestra of ten Theremins performed at Carnegie Hall. Among them was Theremin’s star player Clara Rockmore, who became as much of a Theremin rock star as there has ever been. The Theremin became popular but in many ways as a novelty. It was popularized as the instrument without touch where music was “pulled out of thin air” which was probably more of the attraction than the performances and musical content. The Theremin was used to play classical music like violin concertos, which it was not as good at playing as the violin. The instrument would have had more impact had there been more music composed specifically for the instrument to utilize the unique aspects of the sound. The Theremin was also being used in conjunction with ballet, and there was a whole Theremin ballet troupe. It was here that Theremin met his second wife, Lavinia Williams, who was a black ballet dancer from the group. This union was of course bold and controversial in 1930s America, and provides some insight as to the kind of man Theremin was.
In the mid thirties Theremin left the United States and went back to Russia. The reasons behind this are not all that clear in the eyes of history. Most of the people in his lab, including Rockmore, did not know he was going to leave, and have no idea why. Witnesses claim he was taken away by men with guns and theorized that we was kidnapped by the Russian government, others theories claim that he was totally broke and was forced to go home. Theremin was imprisoned in Russia, and made to work on developing military technology for the KGB. From this came The Thing, or the “bug” which is a small spy tool for remotely listening and recording audio. A small microphone transmitter can be hidden in a room and transmit audio to the listening source. We was also made to restore this audio and the audio of all kinds of spy tapes using filters and eqs. He lived most of the rest of his life in Russia, but did make it back to the states in his later years after the Cold War.
Theremin’s influence on the electronic world can not be measured. He was a huge inspiration for Robert Moog, the inventor of the modular synth and one of the most significant electronic instrument innovators of the mid 20th century. Moog built Theremins as a kid and was even designing his own by his late high school years. Theremin’s inventions paved the way for Moog and his synthesizers, and consequently the bulk of modern day electronic instruments. His influence on Moog alone changed the musical world forever.
It is very difficult to imagine what I could have done differently as Theremin. I think one of the biggest things that would have benefited his career would be to push more new original compositions for the Theremin. This would better establish the Theremin as its own instrument, rather than an electronic imitation of other instruments. Were the Theremin to have had more of an identity when it was popular it could have become a more prominent and powerful instrument in 20th century music. If I could work with him for three moths it would definitely be during his time in the laboratory in New York. To be in an environment of such stimulation, creation, and innovation would be phenomenal. Working with him to help develop his instruments and inventions or to help with the Theremin performance production would be really exciting.
Professor Leon Theremin was a Russian inventor and man of electronic music exploration. His inventions paved the way for the modern era of electronic music. He was born in Russia in 1896 and died in Russia in 1993 having lived a long and turbulent life. Theremin began working with electronics from an early age, and continued studying electronics through higher education. In the Russian military he attended Military Electronic School and Graduate Electronic School for officers, which landed him a radio oversight position for the Russian military during the first World War and during the Russian Civil War.
In 1920 Theremin invented the Theremin, an electronic instrument that utilizes the electrical capacity of the human body within generated fields. The result is an instrument that does not need to be touched to be played. The Theremin generates a tone through the creation of magnetic fields surrounding a vertical and a horizontal post. The vertical post controls the pitch while the horizontal post controls the volume. This was a whole new kind of instrument unlike any invented before, and it inspired the imaginations of millions. Theremin demonstrated it to Vladimir Lenin, whole began to learn the instrument himself. By touring demonstrations of this new instrument, Theremin eventually ended up in the United States, where he had it patented in 1928. It was here that he stayed and opened a laboratory in New York. During this time he met and worked with individuals like Nicolas Slonimsky, Albert Einstein, Joseph Shillinger, and Clara Rockmore, and invented and perfected numerous other electronic instruments including the Rhythmicon and the Theremin Cello. The Rhythmicon was on of the earliest drum machines and could play multiple rhythmic patterns triggered by a keyboard. By establishing a fundamental pitch, different rhythms were generated based on the addition of notes from that pitch’s series of harmonic overtones. Another invention was the Theremin Cello, which was based on a lot of the same concepts as the Theremin but was played on a cello like instrument with only one string. It had one ribbon running the length of the neck that produced a tone when touched, while the volume was controlled by a lever. Other inventions developed at this time involved motion censor technology based in principle on the Theremin design of magnetic fields. After the Lindberg Baby ordeal, one application of this technology was generating fields in cribs so that if someone tried to reach into it an alarm would go off. This also led to the first motion censors for store fronts in New York City.
During this time in New York Theremin was involved in numerous public performances of the Theremin. At one point an orchestra of ten Theremins performed at Carnegie Hall. Among them was Theremin’s star player Clara Rockmore, who became as much of a Theremin rock star as there has ever been. The Theremin became popular but in many ways as a novelty. It was popularized as the instrument without touch where music was “pulled out of thin air” which was probably more of the attraction than the performances and musical content. The Theremin was used to play classical music like violin concertos, which it was not as good at playing as the violin. The instrument would have had more impact had there been more music composed specifically for the instrument to utilize the unique aspects of the sound. The Theremin was also being used in conjunction with ballet, and there was a whole Theremin ballet troupe. It was here that Theremin met his second wife, Lavinia Williams, who was a black ballet dancer from the group. This union was of course bold and controversial in 1930s America, and provides some insight as to the kind of man Theremin was.
In the mid thirties Theremin left the United States and went back to Russia. The reasons behind this are not all that clear in the eyes of history. Most of the people in his lab, including Rockmore, did not know he was going to leave, and have no idea why. Witnesses claim he was taken away by men with guns and theorized that we was kidnapped by the Russian government, others theories claim that he was totally broke and was forced to go home. Theremin was imprisoned in Russia, and made to work on developing military technology for the KGB. From this came The Thing, or the “bug” which is a small spy tool for remotely listening and recording audio. A small microphone transmitter can be hidden in a room and transmit audio to the listening source. We was also made to restore this audio and the audio of all kinds of spy tapes using filters and eqs. He lived most of the rest of his life in Russia, but did make it back to the states in his later years after the Cold War.
Theremin’s influence on the electronic world can not be measured. He was a huge inspiration for Robert Moog, the inventor of the modular synth and one of the most significant electronic instrument innovators of the mid 20th century. Moog built Theremins as a kid and was even designing his own by his late high school years. Theremin’s inventions paved the way for Moog and his synthesizers, and consequently the bulk of modern day electronic instruments. His influence on Moog alone changed the musical world forever.
It is very difficult to imagine what I could have done differently as Theremin. I think one of the biggest things that would have benefited his career would be to push more new original compositions for the Theremin. This would better establish the Theremin as its own instrument, rather than an electronic imitation of other instruments. Were the Theremin to have had more of an identity when it was popular it could have become a more prominent and powerful instrument in 20th century music. If I could work with him for three moths it would definitely be during his time in the laboratory in New York. To be in an environment of such stimulation, creation, and innovation would be phenomenal. Working with him to help develop his instruments and inventions or to help with the Theremin performance production would be really exciting.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Week of 09.05.10
We did not meet for class this week due to the Labor Day holiday, so my blog is going to be an abstract of my notes of the readings I’ve done in the second chapter.
The chapter begins with a discussion of the time period of many of these events for reference and context. World War II brought about a rise in free-thinking and exploration that opened listeners up to new sounds and new forms of the arts. This social mindset played a critical role in the development and expansion of the electronic music genre. Increased interest and notoriety, combined with further advancements in technology led to further experimentations not only with the instruments themselves, but the methods and practices of composition.
Advancements in technology were seeing there way further into established mediums of musical performance. Contemporary classical music began to see the use of turntables in compositions such as Respighi’s The Pines of Rome (awesome piece) and in the works of Paul Hindermith and Ernst Toch (1887-1964). Grammophonmusik, later Turntablism, was a genre birthed from the advancements in recorded playback mediums such as the phonograph, with plastic cylinders and the gramophone with shellac discs. These machines could record and playback material that could be played along with an orchestra. This changed composition because it meant that one could compose for the purpose of recording, and consequently be recording for the purpose of performance. Intense concept.
In France, Pierre Scheaffer (b 1910), a radio broadcaster and Pierre Henry (b. 1927), a composer, were making breakthroughs in a genre that would become known as musique concrete. This is really the first genre of music composed with the purpose of being recorded. This led to concepts like Abraham Moles’s Sound Object, that music is a “sequence of sound objects” and that means that the materials used for producing sound for music are not limited to things commonly considered melodic or harmonic. Moles determined that a sound object is made up of amplitude, frequency, and time/ duration, and that these can be further dissected into attack, sustain, decay, and release. Because sound cold now be easily recorded and played back, the examination and experimentations of sound became endless, and a whole genre of music with unconventional, basic “found sounds” populated the genre. Subsequent to the technology and product, new methods of score writing, compositional principals, and performance venues had to be explored but were all generally based in the conventional musical styles.
The Germans were getting into atonal music and serialism. These are systems of music that are based on 12 tone sequence determined by the composer called a tone row. Of this genre came a true developer in the evolution of electronic music Karlheinz Stockhausen. Stockhausen was a composer who began work composing in recording studios in the 1950s. Using complex multi-tape machines, oscillators, and speakers, Stockhausen delved deep into the world of electronic music composition and realization and formulated principles of composition and technological ability. These are first, a Unified Time Structure, meaning the modification of tone, dynamics, frequency and timbre via tape. Second, Splitting the Sound, that one must have the ability to edit and manipulate the smaller elements of the synthesized sound. Third, Mutli-Layered Composition, can be understood as the necessity of the control of the sound during performance, conversely not relying on the human element on performance. And Fourth, the Equality of Tone and Noise, which in Stockhausen’s words “any noise is musical” but “you can’t just use any tone in any interval” meaning that one must have more constructive thought that just the recording or generating of sound for the purpose of listening.
We did not meet for class this week due to the Labor Day holiday, so my blog is going to be an abstract of my notes of the readings I’ve done in the second chapter.
The chapter begins with a discussion of the time period of many of these events for reference and context. World War II brought about a rise in free-thinking and exploration that opened listeners up to new sounds and new forms of the arts. This social mindset played a critical role in the development and expansion of the electronic music genre. Increased interest and notoriety, combined with further advancements in technology led to further experimentations not only with the instruments themselves, but the methods and practices of composition.
Advancements in technology were seeing there way further into established mediums of musical performance. Contemporary classical music began to see the use of turntables in compositions such as Respighi’s The Pines of Rome (awesome piece) and in the works of Paul Hindermith and Ernst Toch (1887-1964). Grammophonmusik, later Turntablism, was a genre birthed from the advancements in recorded playback mediums such as the phonograph, with plastic cylinders and the gramophone with shellac discs. These machines could record and playback material that could be played along with an orchestra. This changed composition because it meant that one could compose for the purpose of recording, and consequently be recording for the purpose of performance. Intense concept.
In France, Pierre Scheaffer (b 1910), a radio broadcaster and Pierre Henry (b. 1927), a composer, were making breakthroughs in a genre that would become known as musique concrete. This is really the first genre of music composed with the purpose of being recorded. This led to concepts like Abraham Moles’s Sound Object, that music is a “sequence of sound objects” and that means that the materials used for producing sound for music are not limited to things commonly considered melodic or harmonic. Moles determined that a sound object is made up of amplitude, frequency, and time/ duration, and that these can be further dissected into attack, sustain, decay, and release. Because sound cold now be easily recorded and played back, the examination and experimentations of sound became endless, and a whole genre of music with unconventional, basic “found sounds” populated the genre. Subsequent to the technology and product, new methods of score writing, compositional principals, and performance venues had to be explored but were all generally based in the conventional musical styles.
The Germans were getting into atonal music and serialism. These are systems of music that are based on 12 tone sequence determined by the composer called a tone row. Of this genre came a true developer in the evolution of electronic music Karlheinz Stockhausen. Stockhausen was a composer who began work composing in recording studios in the 1950s. Using complex multi-tape machines, oscillators, and speakers, Stockhausen delved deep into the world of electronic music composition and realization and formulated principles of composition and technological ability. These are first, a Unified Time Structure, meaning the modification of tone, dynamics, frequency and timbre via tape. Second, Splitting the Sound, that one must have the ability to edit and manipulate the smaller elements of the synthesized sound. Third, Mutli-Layered Composition, can be understood as the necessity of the control of the sound during performance, conversely not relying on the human element on performance. And Fourth, the Equality of Tone and Noise, which in Stockhausen’s words “any noise is musical” but “you can’t just use any tone in any interval” meaning that one must have more constructive thought that just the recording or generating of sound for the purpose of listening.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Week of 08.30.10:
This week saw the introduction of this class and the world of the electronic instrument. We began by discussing some of the philosophic concepts behind electronic music. Among these ideas is the statement that the marriage of technology and music is inescapable but not always perfect. This is referring to the inevitability of the incorporation of electronic instruments in music, but also stating that in the discovery of this genre and in the development of these instruments there will be failures. The history of invention leads to the creation of new instruments, which will not always be the most musical in nature. In the early days the gap between inventors and composers was one that bred both unsuccessful instruments, unmusical instruments, and new instruments that would forever change compositional possibilities.
Edgard Vrese (1883-1965), was an early conventionalist, composer and inventor of electronic music devices and compositions. His goal was to emancipate the composer of the human element in a performance. In order to achieve such a feat he used tapes, oscillators, and mics to record and generate electronic tones that could be played back at command, consistently. This gave him and the composer a musical instrument with consistent and unchanging tone and performance. It was through Varese’s championing of the collaboration of inventor and composer than helped ignite the electronic music era.
Elisha Grey (1835-1901) was an inventor who created a telegraph that could transmit different tones from one place to another. The frequency of these tones where made and could be changed via electromagnets, which generated a two octave range.
Herman von Helmholtz (1821-1895) wrote On the Sensations of Tone as the Physiological Bases for the Theory of Music. This work illustrated and outlined the scientific approach to electronic music synthesis. He was also the inventor of the Helmholtz Resonator, which generated tone via the use of chimes. Helmholtz was a huge influence on Thaddeus Cahill.
Thaddeus Cahill (1867-1934) was an inventor and a visionary in the early days of electronic music synthesis. He invented the Telharmonium, which was a building-sized synthesizer that used pitch shafts and tone wheels to generate sound and was played with a touch-sensitive polyphonic keyboard. The goal was to create a machine that would allow one individual to create and control an entire orchestra of sounds. This early synth occupies an entire floor in Manhattan and piped music to local customers and businesses via power and telephone lines. It was in operation from 1906 to 1908, but was shut down due to gastronomical power consumption, relentless maintenance needs, and to some extent, lack of monetary popularity. Even in it’s two year run, the Telharmonium was one of the most ambitious and extravagant endeavors in the history of electronic music.
Busoni (1866-1924) wrote Sketch of the New Aesthetic of Music and was a member of the Futurist movement. The Futurists were a sect of artists capitalizing on the incorporation of electronic synthesis into their compositions. This included experiments with composition, micro tonality, and new ways to create sound and music.
Russolo (1885-1947) published The Art of Noise. This manifesto outlined Futurist ideals and created definitions of sounds. He divided sounds into six categories, the first being roars, thundering and explosions, the second whistling, hissing and puffing, the third whispers murmurs and mumbling, the fourth screeching and creaking, the fifth being percussive sounds, and the sixth being voices and human and animal noises. He composed the Grand Concerto Futuistico.
Lee De Forrest (1873-1961) was a huge contributor to the music technology scene with his invention of the vacuum tube. The tube is a method of amplifying an electrical signal via the use of a vacuum. By introducing the signal into a controlled vacuum, the electrons spread out in the vacuum and generate a larger, louder signal. Tube soon became widely used for all types of equipment including amplifiers, radio broadcasting, television, and in all kinds of musical equipment.
Leon Theremin was a Russian inventor who created the rythmicon, an early drum machine, and the Theremin, which is a uni-linear signal generator that uses capacitance to operate. By generating electronic fields around two posts, the Theremin uses the human body as a capacitor, the movement of which in relative to the posts changes the electromagnetic field and consequently the pitch and amplitude. While a hugely fantastic and creative instrument its used are limited, and its popularity was short lived. This was partly due to the fact that this brand new instrument was used to play classical material, which it is unable to do as well as conventional instruments. A better approach would be to compose new music with the capabilities and sounds of the instrument in mind.
We also touched on a few other notables such as John Cage (1912-1992) who was a composer of advanced electronic music, Hammond (1895-1973) who invented the portable electronic organ, Thomas Edison (1847-1931) who invented the phonograph, and Pflumner, who invented celluloid and iron oxide tape.
In class we took some time to look at the Ondes Martenot, which is one of the coolist instruments of all time. Based on similar technology as the Theremin, the Martenot has a linear pitch ring controller superimposed over a keyboard that can be played polyphonically. Sounds is created when a touch sensitive key is depressed which controls velocity and amplitude. The ring can slide up and down the keyboards controlling pitch. The keyboard can also be played, with vibrato. Super awesome instrument and I really want one.
This week saw the introduction of this class and the world of the electronic instrument. We began by discussing some of the philosophic concepts behind electronic music. Among these ideas is the statement that the marriage of technology and music is inescapable but not always perfect. This is referring to the inevitability of the incorporation of electronic instruments in music, but also stating that in the discovery of this genre and in the development of these instruments there will be failures. The history of invention leads to the creation of new instruments, which will not always be the most musical in nature. In the early days the gap between inventors and composers was one that bred both unsuccessful instruments, unmusical instruments, and new instruments that would forever change compositional possibilities.
Edgard Vrese (1883-1965), was an early conventionalist, composer and inventor of electronic music devices and compositions. His goal was to emancipate the composer of the human element in a performance. In order to achieve such a feat he used tapes, oscillators, and mics to record and generate electronic tones that could be played back at command, consistently. This gave him and the composer a musical instrument with consistent and unchanging tone and performance. It was through Varese’s championing of the collaboration of inventor and composer than helped ignite the electronic music era.
Elisha Grey (1835-1901) was an inventor who created a telegraph that could transmit different tones from one place to another. The frequency of these tones where made and could be changed via electromagnets, which generated a two octave range.
Herman von Helmholtz (1821-1895) wrote On the Sensations of Tone as the Physiological Bases for the Theory of Music. This work illustrated and outlined the scientific approach to electronic music synthesis. He was also the inventor of the Helmholtz Resonator, which generated tone via the use of chimes. Helmholtz was a huge influence on Thaddeus Cahill.
Thaddeus Cahill (1867-1934) was an inventor and a visionary in the early days of electronic music synthesis. He invented the Telharmonium, which was a building-sized synthesizer that used pitch shafts and tone wheels to generate sound and was played with a touch-sensitive polyphonic keyboard. The goal was to create a machine that would allow one individual to create and control an entire orchestra of sounds. This early synth occupies an entire floor in Manhattan and piped music to local customers and businesses via power and telephone lines. It was in operation from 1906 to 1908, but was shut down due to gastronomical power consumption, relentless maintenance needs, and to some extent, lack of monetary popularity. Even in it’s two year run, the Telharmonium was one of the most ambitious and extravagant endeavors in the history of electronic music.
Busoni (1866-1924) wrote Sketch of the New Aesthetic of Music and was a member of the Futurist movement. The Futurists were a sect of artists capitalizing on the incorporation of electronic synthesis into their compositions. This included experiments with composition, micro tonality, and new ways to create sound and music.
Russolo (1885-1947) published The Art of Noise. This manifesto outlined Futurist ideals and created definitions of sounds. He divided sounds into six categories, the first being roars, thundering and explosions, the second whistling, hissing and puffing, the third whispers murmurs and mumbling, the fourth screeching and creaking, the fifth being percussive sounds, and the sixth being voices and human and animal noises. He composed the Grand Concerto Futuistico.
Lee De Forrest (1873-1961) was a huge contributor to the music technology scene with his invention of the vacuum tube. The tube is a method of amplifying an electrical signal via the use of a vacuum. By introducing the signal into a controlled vacuum, the electrons spread out in the vacuum and generate a larger, louder signal. Tube soon became widely used for all types of equipment including amplifiers, radio broadcasting, television, and in all kinds of musical equipment.
Leon Theremin was a Russian inventor who created the rythmicon, an early drum machine, and the Theremin, which is a uni-linear signal generator that uses capacitance to operate. By generating electronic fields around two posts, the Theremin uses the human body as a capacitor, the movement of which in relative to the posts changes the electromagnetic field and consequently the pitch and amplitude. While a hugely fantastic and creative instrument its used are limited, and its popularity was short lived. This was partly due to the fact that this brand new instrument was used to play classical material, which it is unable to do as well as conventional instruments. A better approach would be to compose new music with the capabilities and sounds of the instrument in mind.
We also touched on a few other notables such as John Cage (1912-1992) who was a composer of advanced electronic music, Hammond (1895-1973) who invented the portable electronic organ, Thomas Edison (1847-1931) who invented the phonograph, and Pflumner, who invented celluloid and iron oxide tape.
In class we took some time to look at the Ondes Martenot, which is one of the coolist instruments of all time. Based on similar technology as the Theremin, the Martenot has a linear pitch ring controller superimposed over a keyboard that can be played polyphonically. Sounds is created when a touch sensitive key is depressed which controls velocity and amplitude. The ring can slide up and down the keyboards controlling pitch. The keyboard can also be played, with vibrato. Super awesome instrument and I really want one.
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