ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the second generation of electronic music technology between about 1920 and 1940. There were an estimated 85 instruments invented during this period. Being monophonic, the Theremin was useful as a melodic instrument and the “thereminist” was often given parts that might otherwise have been suited for a violin, flute, or other melodic voice of the orchestra. Composers who wrote for the instrument rarely explored its breadth of sound capabilities. The RCA Theremin released in 1930 may not have been a commercial success with consumers of musical instruments, but the invention turned the spotlight on its inventor. Martenot borrowed Theremin’s principles for generating musical tones, but also stole a page from the Audion Piano by providing an instrument with a familiar keyboard. The original instrument played by Martenot at its Paris premiere controlled pitch by the lateral movement of a finger ring that was attached to a metal wire.
