Clara Rockmore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clara Rockmore (born Clara Reisenberg, Vilnius, Lithuania, March 9, 1911; d. New York City, May 10 1998) is generally considered to be the most accomplished performer ever of the theremin electronic musical instrument.
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[edit] Biography
Rockmore was a child prodigy on the violin and entered the Imperial conservatory of Saint Petersburg at age five. However, bone problems due to childhood malnutrition forced her to abandon violin performance past her teen years.
Rockmore had several gifts that enabled her to play the theremin so well. Her classical training gave her an advantage over the many theremin performers who lacked this background, including the instrument's inventor. She had absolute pitch, helpful in playing an instrument that generates tones of any pitch throughout its entire range, including those that lie between the conventional notes. She had extremely precise, rapid control of her movements, important in playing an instrument that depends on the performer's motion and proximity rather than touch. She also had the advantage of working directly with Léon Theremin from the early days of the instrument's commercial development in the United States. Rockmore made several suggestions to improve the theremin as a performing instrument that the inventor incorporated in later versions.
Rockmore was without peer as a performer in the early decades of the instrument's use. While many listeners have heard the theremin used mostly as a spooky special-effects device, Rockmore used it to perform classical works. Under her control, the theremin sounded like a blend of the violin and the human voice.
[edit] CDs
- The Art of the Theremin. Delos International, 1987.
[edit] Film and video
- Martin, Steven M. (Director). (1995). Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey [Film and DVD]. MGM.
- Moog, Robert (Producer). (1998). Clara Rockmore: The Greatest Theremin Virtuosa [Videotape (VHS)]. Moog Music and Little Big Films.
[edit] References
- Glinsky, Albert (2000). Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-02582-2.
- Moog, Robert (October 27, 2002). "In Clara's Words: An Interview with Clara Rockmore". Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
- Strauss, D. (June 1, 2006). "Clara Rockmore". Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
