Playability

A composer does him/herself a disservice if the point of departure is the limitations of the instrument. Virtually every supposed limitation that has been listed here, is, I believe, a fallacy. Rapid note runs, wide pitch jumps/intervals, sharp staccato, arpeggios, are all possible. Some take an incredible amount of work to achieve – nevertheless, they’re possible. Three bars of sixteenth notes that jump in sevenths will take far longer to master then three bars of sixteenth notes that run chromatically, but to characterize them as de facto impossible and therefore out of the composer’s province is wholly arbitrary.

The real limitations, without meaning to offend in any way, are actually our own limitations as individual players. Some of these limitations are self-imposed based upon musical tastes and preferences. Others are the result of the degree to which one wants to explore and practice. There has never been and never will be a point at which one must stop – a point beyond which one must never try. Someone classically trained can find it extremely hard to play a composition that allows for improvisation. Someone who plays primarily free-form may find it very difficult to play more conventional music like The Swan at first. It’s a question of commitment and practice. Compositions of a conventional classical nature can seem insurmountable, but taking on the challenge and sticking with it can result in success. All it takes is the decision to work at something until it BECOMES possible.

A composer is free to create anything in just about any form. It’s the instrumentalist’s job to recreate it accurately. The history of music is filled with composers who were never able to play their own work, or who could never play most of the instruments they composed for, or extraordinary composers who created pieces that went beyond what people thought was possible for an instrument -- composer Gyorgy Ligeti pushed way past the supposed boundaries for the human voice --- Harry Partch conceived of compositions so unusual that he had to invent his own instruments to play them. Music history is also filled with extraordinary artists whose ability to play a given instrument set new benchmarks for mastery.

For every jaw-dropping piece like Mozart's Queen of the Night aria, that makes us all stare in amazement and say "I didn't know a human could do that!", there's a Fuelehan Concerto for Theremin, that as far as we know nobody alive is capable of playing. Yes, it's great that Clara was as astonishingly talented as she was, and the piece sure showed off her abilities in a flashy way, but what good is the music now that she has left us?

An instrument is only as good as people are actually capable of using it. Sure, the Theremin itself can handle fast arpeggios, but as nearly no humans are capable of doing them on it, isn't that a limitation of the instrument?

As Peter Pringle is fond of saying, the Theremin is a one trick pony, but the trick is spectacular and nobody else can do it. Recognizing this isn't an insult to the instrument, it's the first step toward being able to compose well for it, and toward being able to admit to ourselves that the instrument is exciting and beautiful but overly difficult and maybe we can ponder the concept of how we might make it easier without losing its better qualities.

It's still a matter of a PERSON being able to tackle things:

>Yes, it's great that Clara was as astonishingly talented as she was, and the piece sure showed off her abilities in a flashy way, but what good is the music now that she has left us?>

The Fuelihan piece is ready and waiting for someone to do it. Problem is, you need a whole symphony orchestra. That's the first obstacle. Playing along with the CD is fine for practicing, but is unsatisfactory for performance because the recording itself is far from gorgeous, and the theremin's already on it. BUT with the exception of a few passages, it's VERY playable. In the case of the very difficult passages, it's just a matter of studying the score and tons of practice.

>An instrument is only as good as people are actually capable of using it.>

Absolutely true. All it takes is for a player to master a given piece.

>Sure, the Theremin itself can handle fast arpeggios, but as nearly no humans are capable of doing them on it, isn't that a limitation of the instrument?>

It's the PERSON who handles the arpeggios, the instrument just reacts, threfore if the arpeggios are impossible, it's the player who's limitied -- as you said yourself, "An instrument is only as good as people are actually capable of using it."

Thre are thereminists who definitely are that capable. More still can become that capable - it takes a lot of work.

When I first attempted Bach's Flute Sonata No. 1 in B Minor, it made me laugh out loud -- a lot! I'd come back to it occasionally, month after month, and it was hilarious. It just made me laugh to even THINK I'd be able to play it: tremendous and relentless runs of sixteenth notes, jumping all over the place. But after about six months it was a different story. It seemed this piece was possible. I've been practicing it for years. It's never been performed because I've never found an acoompanist willing to put in the intense time required to learn the incredibly difficult harpsichord part. But it has never stopped me from playing it and I keep searching for someone to play it with. Someday, I know I'll be able to perform it live.

I'd encourage any thereminist who dreams of playing a particular piece to go for it -- learn to do whatever it takes if your heart's really in it. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish

hmmmmmmm,
sadly many people are killed every day by gunshot wounds.
where do you place the blame for actually killing them: the gun, or the person who pulled the trigger,
isn't this the same question?

Some other words I often remind myself with:
"A good carpenter never blames her tools".
Isn't it time we stopped blaming our beautiful aether instruments for what we ourselves fail to achieve?

Or that famous Bach quote "Anyone who will work as hard will do just as well".
If Clara could do it, it's humanly possible and I may as well try and people should write for it.

It's up to you, do you want your work performed by every amateur school and church choir in the US, then don't write like Bach. But if you do manage to write as well as he did there's a chance someone will hear your work long after your gone.

Just write it.
Just play.

Don't ever stop making music, and don't let mental assumptions stop you from trying anything you may hear in your dreams or happen to stumble upon while at play.

That's just my thought today.

[i]A composer does him/herself a disservice if the point of departure is the limitations of the instrument.[/i]

I understand the point here -- that a composer needn't impose his/her own limitations upon a performer. And, a composer needn't shy away from writing difficult passages. After all, such passages can contribute the the ebb and flow of tension within the music.

To know the relative difficulty of given techniques is to give the composer the means to write increasingly powerful and expressive music that is idiomatic to the Theremin.

[i]The real limitations, without meaning to offend in any way, are actually our own limitations as individual players.[/i]

I think we tend to underestimate ourselves.

However, in all fairness, not all theremins are created equal. In general, the less expensive theremins' antenna systems lack the linearity of the pricier ones.

For example, if your Theremin is an inexpensive model and you are struggling to play something that is a generally-recognized work for Theremin (i.e., "The Swan", "Greensleeves" etc) you might want to try out a model with better linearity. A fancier Theremin won't make you a better player however a cheap Theremin may frustrate you needlessly.

(I own a Theremax and an Epro -- I found the Etherwave Standard very playable -- not much different from playing the Epro.)

[i]Yes, it's great that Clara was as astonishingly talented as she was, and the piece sure showed off her abilities in a flashy way, but what good is the music now that she has left us?[/i]

People over-estimate Clara and under-estimate everyone else. To suggest (as others have done elsewhere) that the first Theremin virtuoso in history is also the last is to discourage people from even trying.

[i]Sure, the Theremin itself can handle fast arpeggios, but as nearly no humans are capable of doing them on it, isn't that a limitation of the instrument?[/i]

If music is nothing more than a vehicle for a performer to show off his/her chops then it will quickly fall into obscurity. Such music becomes obscure, not because it is difficult, but because it doesn't move performers or listeners.

From the pipe organ world I am familiar with music that is very difficult -- and organists play the stuff to impress each other. The public doesn't give a fig about it and most organists outside of academia don't bother themselves with it either.

If a piece of music moves and inspires, then people will strive to play it regardless of the difficulties.

[i]The Fuelihan piece is ready and waiting for someone to do it. Problem is, you need a whole symphony orchestra. That's the first obstacle.[/i]

Is the score available? Somehow I doubt if my local music store has it. I'm afraid that the Theremin Concerto didn't make Fuelihan a household word in the classical world.

If orchestras wanted to play this piece and if audiences clamored for it, the Concerto likely would have been arranged for solo instruments other than Theremin. (i.e., the "Rhapsody in Blue" is rarely heard using the original instruments -- that included a banjo!).

>It's the PERSON who handles the arpeggios, the instrument just reacts...

assuming that the instrument's reactions are accurate. A poorly-designed instrument may not react consitantly to the performer's input.

[i]I'd encourage any thereminist who dreams of playing a particular piece to go for it[/i]

Absolutely!

[i]If Clara could do it, it's humanly possible[/i]

Thank you! Finally, someone is willing to assert publically that Clara and her abilities were human.

[i]do you want your work performed by every amateur school and church choir in the US...[/i],

Imagine the royalties! :)

Yes! Sometimes you have a Hammond
and imagine then require a Casavant.
But on the next weekday it's the cheapest
most limited instrument that
realizes exactly the impulse you're feeling.

Maybe if your writing and you hear something
in your head for an instrument and
you don't know really if it can do it?
Write it any way use squiggly lines even
then get a good first
chair player to look at it
and I think they will tell you.


"Imagine the royalties"
I wish I could.
But I do imagine a quartet Sir!

Roses
The flowers are easy to paint
The leaves difficult.

(haiku by Shiki)

I have to agree with Kevin. True skill, for me ay least, does not lie in complexity and difficulty. It is in composing music who's richness and depth belies it's simplicity, and in playing it is in having the ability to find richness and depth in the easiest of pieces. That is what leaves a lasting impression - not the showy stuff.

Haha! Don't get me wrong, I love some fireworks and I get a kick out of playing and hearing flashy works.

In a concert setting, to include a work or two that is a technical tour de force is fun however a whole concert of such work can become tedious.

To contrast flashy work with plaintive work makes the fireworks seem all the more spectacular.

One of the elements that I love about the Theremin is that one can say a lot musically with a single, beautiful note. As far as "milking" a note for all it's worth, I put the Theremin right up there with the human voice, the 'cello, and violin.

Indeed, the Theremin can achieve great expression while playing slowly. Perhaps this is the Theremin's most powerful "limitation".

:)

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What instrument combinations with the Theremin
have you found interesting or fun?
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I started out with my own standard synth orchestra stylings. But some concrete style music was a lot of fun, shorter harder sounds gave a nice contrast to the Aether Voice and also allowed for some strange almost sub sonic support that left a nice isolated band sonically open for it as well.

Now I'm exploring plucked and strummed string sounds to try and get that sonic separation in a more tonic environment.

What's coming out of your music room...?

I like the idea of theremin with percussion.

Also, I'm enamored of multi-track theremin these days, for abstract-type pieces. And lately I've been having lots of fun creating teensy compositions to be used as cell phone ringtones. Mine can be found at http://www.cantelow.com. I hope others will devise theremin ringtones, too. It would be great fun to see what variety people come up with.

Got any ringtones to share? All you need to do is create a short-lasting mp3 file, as I understand. (I haven't managed to get one into my own phone yet, must confess.)