Various Artists – Theremin 100 – Electronic Music Written for Theremin (NY Theremin Society, 2020)
Austrian musician, composer and co-founder of the NY Theremin Society, Dorit Chrysler put together Theremin 100, a collection of international musical pieces across musical genres that have one element in common, the use of the theremin. The set celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Theremin, a musical instrument with an ethereal, otherworld sound that has fascinated audiences for decades.
The musical pieces on this collection take you into the world of lounge and exotica created by Radio Science Orchestra (UK) and Peg Ming (Spain) as well as the neoclassical delights of Grégoire Blanc (France) and Robert Deutsch (USA); mesmerizing trip hop from Ian Bickerstaff (UK); baroque progressive rock by Megafauna (Australia); German electronic funk and techno from Robert Meyer; the electronic klezmer of Spanish bassist Javier Diez Ena; minimalism envisioned by Maurizio Mansueti (Italy).
Other highlights include the theremin classic “Bury Me, Bury Me Wind” performed by Dutch musician Thorwald Jørgensen, a composition written for Theremin in 1930 by Joseph Schillinger, a friend of Lev Theremin, the inventor of the musical instrument; a strangely beautiful rendition of “Ave Maria” by Japan Theremin Old School; and Swiss sound designer Therminal C’s electronic explorations along with some pop songs.
Dorit Chrysler says about the project, “An international call out was made and to my big surprise a huge amount of submissions from all over the world trickled in – who knew there were so many theremin players – from a girl playing in a rock band in Peru to a Japanese theremin orchestra breaking Guinness book records, from Icelandic experimental to Australian goth, pop to classical.” She adds, “Tracks were chosen to highlight versatility in style, musicality, technique and innovation. I am so proud of the result and grateful for the opportunity of helping to bring attention to the current state of the theremin in composition. The theremin is still obscure in status, so I intended for this release to change the perception of the instrument a bit, demonstrating all the different things it can do.”
The album is available at Theremin 100.