controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. The controlling section usually consists
of two metal antennas which sense the position of the player's hands and control oscillators for
frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other, so it can be played without being
touched. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker. I am pretty sure
a person who plays the theremin is called a theremite.
The theremin is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Leon Theremin. Leon was being funded by the Russian government to research proximity sensors, when he created this instrument in october, 1920. After a lengthy tour of Europe, during which time he demonstrated his invention to packed houses, Theremin found his way to the United States, where he patented his invention in 1928. After that, the popularity of the theremin decreased. Until the late 1950's, when a electric musician Robert Moog began building them (while he was in high school). Robert soon graduated and went on to create the moog, which he loosely designed of the instrument. Since the release of the film Theremin: An Electric Odyssey in 1994, the instrument has enjoyed a resurgence in interest and has become more widely used by contemporary musicians. Even though many theremin sounds can be approximated on many modern synthesizers, some musicians continue to appreciate the expressiveness, novelty and uniqueness of using an actual theremin. The film itself has garnered excellent reviews.
The Theremin is used in many different genres of music. Its been used in electric (obviously), rock, pop, metal, psychedelic rock, and in many films. It is often associated with an eerie sound. It is often used in suspenseful horror scenes. It has been used in works such as: Midsummer Murders, The Lost Weekend, and The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Here is a video: Leon Theremin playing his own instrument. And here are some pictures:
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