by Brandi Naragon

Created on: November 25, 2008

"Klaatu barada nikto!" These three words, spoken by the actress Patricia Neal to the giant robot Gort in the film The Day The Earth Stood Still, have been immortalized in science-fiction lore. Just as legendary was the film's score, which gave a distinct, otherworldly feel to the exploits of Klaatu and his metallic companion. To achieve this tone, the composer, Bernard Herrmann, used a unique instrument: the Theremin.

The Theremin, which was patented in 1922, was one of the world's first electronic instruments. The name comes from its Russian inventor, Lev Termen, whose name was changed to Leon Theremin when he arrived in the United States in 1928. Theremin used the name "etherphone" in his patent, because the music produced by the machine "came from the ether."

The description of "etherphone" is appropriate, as the Theremin is played without touching it. The original instrument appeared to be a cabinet with two antennae, one protruding from the top and one from the left side. The antennae produced a magnetic field which enveloped the machine, and when a performer's hands entered that magnetic field, a tone was produced. The player had to be coordinated and skilled, as the left antenna controlled the music's volume, and the top antenna controlled the pitch.

Electricity was still a relatively new phenomenon in the 1920s, and the electric instrument had a prestigious following. Even Albert Einstein frequented Theremin's home, as interested in the technical aspects of the instrument as in the sound produced. RCA Victor produced the instrument for the American market, but the appeal was limited due to the difficulty of skilled play. Still, Theremins appeared in some orchestras, with a full ten-piece Theremin "orchestra" playing Carnegie Hall in 1932.

Perhaps the most famous "Thereminist" was Clara Rockmore, a former violin prodigy from Lithuania. Rockmore lost her ability to play the violin during her teen years due to complications from childhood malnutrition. She met Theremin in the United States and found new musical life in his invention. She became the premier player of the instrument, touring with a Theremin specially made by the inventor himself.

Theremin left the United States in 1938 under a veil of intrigue. His reasons for initially leaving are unclearsome believe he was fleeing his mounting debts, some say he was forced to return to the Soviet Union by Russian agents. Whatever his motivation, Theremin moved to Russia, where he was caught up in the Stalinist purges and fell from sight until he returned to the U.S.
in 1991. He died in 1993.

In the United States, interest in the instrument held until after World War II, when more electronic instruments began to appear, removing the uniqueness of the Theremin. The impact of the instrument, however, reached far beyond the 1940s. A small group of musicians continued to build and play Theremins, including Robert Moog. Moog built and sold Theremins, and his work with the instrument led to his creation of the Moog synthesizer, a staple of rock music in the 1960s and 1970s. Artists such as Stevie Wonder, the Doors, and the Beatles used Moog's device, which was a direct descendant of Theremin's machine. Although the machine itself may not be well known, the contribution that it has made to film and music is undeniable.

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