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zuihitsu : theremin improvisations
Not so long ago, I was sent a copy of Zuihitsu, an album of theremin improvisations by James Coleman.
The theremin's basic repertoire of electronic effects are both strange and easily recognizable, a combination which may have contributed to the way it has been marginalized as an instrument. It spent much of the last century relegated to providing either novelty effects for novelty bands or space noise for science-fiction soundtracks.
However, early theremin virtuosos such as Clara Rockmore revealed that the theremin could be an instrument of remarkable range and depth. Coleman works within this tradition, generating sound-events that are remarkable for their subtlety and nuance.
Coleman's collaborators are also a talented bunch; in particular I enjoyed Liz Tonne's vocal punctuations and the experimental chamber music of the undr quartet.
Further reading: Clara Rockmore's book Method For Theremin is available as PDFs, from this site. Labels: music, music_commentary |
Saturday, January 26, 2002
2:37 PM
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