Theremin

[Anoushik]

Jumping from article to article on Wikipedia I suddenly came across to Theremin. I'd completely forgotten about this amazing instrument. Theremin is an electronic musical instrument that one plays without ever touching it. I actually got to try it in my theory class last year! It's really hard to control it. It's not as easy as it looks.

 

(There's a keyboard instrument in the background.)

 

... I've never heard of Armen Ra but he was mentioned in Wikipedia. He certainly is a curiosity, especially if you take a look at his photos in his MySpace profile.

[MosJan]

http://www.peterpringle.com/pg1.html

 

founded by Peter Pringle

the first time i have hurt of the instrument was frome Mr Peter Pringle hi self / we have spend over 30 minutes talking and he has had so much knowledge on Armenian music and Sharakans, when he gave me the link to listen to the music / sound - it was amazing / if i'm not wrong in one of teh sits i have found him playing a Armenian Sharakan.

 

well now his in to Armenian Duduk - and i will not be surprised to see him combining our duduk & Theremin in a recording

 

 

 

[nairi]

I'm truly frustrated at this point, because after listening to Armen Ra's execution of Massenet on the theremin I was convinced that he was the brain behind the "saw" in the soundtrack of "Delicatessen." But after checking the credits, I found Les Sipolos being the musical saw player. Anoushik, is it possible to play the saw?? It sounds (almost?) exactly like the theremin and in "Delicatessen" it IS in fact the same piece by Massenet that Ra is playing. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

[Yervant1]

I'm truly frustrated at this point, because after listening to Armen Ra's execution of Massenet on the theremin I was convinced that he was the brain behind the "saw" in the soundtrack of "Delicatessen." But after checking the credits, I found Les Sipolos being the musical saw player. Anoushik, is it possible to play the saw?? It sounds (almost?) exactly like the theremin and in "Delicatessen" it IS in fact the same piece by Massenet that Ra is playing. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

Nairi I felt the same way after I heard it. I have seen few times people play the saw, the vibration sound of the saw is almost like it.

 

[nairi]

I found this person:

 

http://www.sawlady.com/

[nairi]

And, perhaps not so surprising, this page:

 

http://www.theremin-saw.com/

[Azat]

NPR had a pretty good story about it few years back

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1147257

 

[Anoushik]

I'm truly frustrated at this point, because after listening to Armen Ra's execution of Massenet on the theremin I was convinced that he was the brain behind the "saw" in the soundtrack of "Delicatessen." But after checking the credits, I found Les Sipolos being the musical saw player. Anoushik, is it possible to play the saw?? It sounds (almost?) exactly like the theremin and in "Delicatessen" it IS in fact the same piece by Massenet that Ra is playing. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

I've heard about the musical saw, but have never seen it performed live. The idea is really cool. Yes, theremin and the musical saw sound alike (kind of creepy to my ears).

 

Now, she is a really good theremin performer. She's a virtuoso theremin performer who studied with her uncle, Theremin, himself. Needless to say, there is a big difference between her performance and Armen Ra's (to be fair, Armen Ra's only been performing this difficult instrument for two years).

 

It's kind of hard to take this instrument seriously. I guess that's why Lydia's stage has science-fiction background

 

There are a lot of videos on Youtube with musical saws as well. I guess I'm a traditionalist musician. Even though the idea of musical saw is kind of cool, it does seem ridiculous and unnecessary

[vava]

I'm truly frustrated at this point, because after listening to Armen Ra's execution of Massenet on the theremin I was convinced that he was the brain behind the "saw" in the soundtrack of "Delicatessen." But after checking the credits, I found Les Sipolos being the musical saw player. Anoushik, is it possible to play the saw?? It sounds (almost?) exactly like the theremin and in "Delicatessen" it IS in fact the same piece by Massenet that Ra is playing. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

 

So I wasn't the only one!

 

Nice thread For the record Here's the IMDB entry for Delicatessen

[nairi]

It's kind of hard to take this instrument seriously. I guess that's why Lydia's stage has science-fiction background

 

According to Wikipedia numerous bands have used the theremin, including Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, Portishead, and even System of a Down. Seems to be coming back into popularity...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin

 

See also:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX8vrt3j1xc

[MosJan]

Theremin by Masami Takeuchi

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwqLyeq9OJI

 

 

 

nice !!

[vava]

I believe it was the Beach Boys, and Brian Wilson, who paved the way for the Theramin in "pop" music - and this would have been in the late 50's! I think the guy who played/made it for them was named Paul Tonner, or something like that.

[vava]

Whoops! In the article that sweet Nairi posted, they address the Beach Boys use of the Theramin - and it wasn't a real theramin, but an "Electro Theramin"! And it's Paul Tanner, not Tonner. Mon dieu.

 

 

[Anoushik]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX8vrt3j1xc

Thanks for this!

[Zartonk]

I believe it was the Beach Boys, and Brian Wilson, who paved the way for the Theramin in "pop" music - and this would have been in the late 50's!

 

Yes yes, Good "Vibrations", (and what a song) and yes it wasn't genuine.

[arax]

I had the pleasure of seeing Armen Ra in concert at the United Nations last year, and after waiting in reception line for 45 minutes, I met him. He was elegant and gracious, with the mannerism of a prince. Fluent in Armenian and from a prominent aristocratic family in Iran.

 

I have also seen Lydia Kavina 3 times, and there is no comparison. Ms Kavina having studied with her uncle since the age of 9,( she is in her 40's) and Armen only playing for 5 years. I actually fell asleep the last time I saw Lydia.

However Armens intensity and emotional playing had me in tears. Considering the short time he has played he is excelling rapidly.

 

This "curiosity" has performed at many high end venues, he is an excellent musician and very well know in US and Europe, having just played in Vienna for the anniversary of Mozart. Perhaps before your smug comment you should read the list of places he has performed, and how much awareness he has brought to the cause of the Genocide.

 

By curiosity you must mean stunning, beautiful and other worldly. At least he has the power to be himself, and show his face to the world. His beautiful Armenian face!

 

I wonder what you look like? hiding behind your anonymous computer screen, being judgmental?

 

Shouldn't we support young Armenian artists, rather than calling them "curiosities" and unnecessarily criticizing them?

 

AMOT KEZ

 

A. Makarian

Connecticut U.S.

 

for those of you with education and open minds here is his myspace pages.

 

http://www.myspace.com/armenra

http://www.myspace.com/armenramusic

Edited February 22, 2007 by arax

[Anoushik]

Arax, is your comment directed at me?

 

Reading over this thread I can only conclude that your comment is directed at me since no one else has written about Armen Ra in here. Why jump to quick conclusions? If I hadn't thought positively about Armen Ra I never would have mentioned him in here.

 

By curiosity you must mean stunning, beautiful and other worldly. At least he has the power to be himself, and show his face to the world. His beautiful Armenian face!

Yes, that's exacly what I thought! Why jump to wrong conclusions? What I meant by "curiosity" is his choice of make-up and dress when he performs. But I never criticized him. If you decide to stick around in Hyeforum (or maybe join other forums) you'll learn quickly to not jump to conclusions and put your own thoughts into what others are thinking. It's ok though, I remember I was liked that too when I first joined Hyeforum

 

And regarding Lydia Kavina, yes, she is a virtuoso. I also mentioned that. Let's not get emotional about Armen being better just because he's Armenian. If you listen to Lydia's performance and compare it to Armen's it's like comparing night and day. Lydia plays in tune. Armen is playing close to tune. Again, it's because of Lydia's experience and background. But as a musician I can also hear that Armen is a musician at heart. Even if he's still working on his technique of playing the theremin, I can hear that whatever amount he's playing he's doing a good job. I'd choose his performance any moment over the robotic performance of Masami Takeuchi that MosJan has posted above.

[Armenak]

Enter the world of Armen Ra

 

* Thereminist's repertoire includes Sayat Nova and Ganatchian

 

by Adrineh Gregorian

 

Melodies created by the theremin are ominous and eerie, more suited

for the mysterious world of the Addams Family and less like macabre

sounds of Diamanda Galas.

 

Such is the musical forte of the most exceptional artist I've ever

met, thereminist Armen Ra. In fact, his talent is extraordinarily rare

among musicians, as the theremin has been mastered by only a few.

 

I first heard of Armen Ra in 2005, when I was at a Voluptuous Horror

of Karen Black concert and heard lead singer Kembra announce Armen. I

couldn't believe that the costume-immersed svelte playing spooky

sounds was an Armenian.

 

Come to think of it, why not? The sound of the theremin is not much

different than that of the duduk. Both are richly soulful, soft, and

have a slightly nasal timbre.

 

After the show I ran backstage yelling "Armen!" figuring the chances

of another Armen being at this cult favorite concert were nil. Upon

meeting me, Armen was equally excited to meet another Armenian and

gave me his CD of Sayat Nova's traditional hymns played on the

theremin.

 

Since our meeting, I learned how Armen Ra performs in prestigious

venues across the globe, bringing his eclectic music to untapped ears.

 

Born Armen Hovanesian, Armen grew up in Tehran, then Massachusetts,

and moved to New York City when he was 16.

 

Growing up he always had a strong musical instinct. Having been

raised in a musical and artistic family "my instincts were cultivated

and reinforced," said Armen. His aunt, Shake Makarian, is a well-known

opera singer and ikebana master, while his pianist mother Ruizanna

Hovanesian attended Santa Cecillia conservatory in Rome.

 

Armen first learned about the theremin at 17 when he saw it featured

in a PBS documentary. "I was mesmerized by the fact that it is played

without touching, and that it can sound so similar to an operatic

voice," said Armen.

 

Somehow Armen was able to play it right away, even though he was

told it is the hardest instrument to learn -- it takes perfect pitch

and dexterity. "By practicing constantly and devoting myself to it, I

refined the technique, and am always attempting new and more

challenging material," Armen said.

 

Though Armen fiddled with other instruments, including the piano and

violin at a young age, he wasn't interested in either. Armen said,

"the theremin being so strange and otherworldly was a perfect match!"

 

Performing Armenian songs with the theremin was a natural desire for

Armen since he's always been moved by traditional and classical

Armenian melodies. "It was the first kind of music that I was exposed

to," said Armen. "I have always been very emotionally affected by

them. Especially Gomidas and Sayat Nova, as well as Ganatchian and

Avedissian."

 

The theremin has no strings, buttons, or surface to beat against.

Musicians use their hands as they glide across an energy filed to

produce sounds. "There is no physical sensation," said Armen, "because

of the intense concentration, I go into a trance-like state."

 

His debut theremin performance came a few years later with his

friend and inspiration Antony, of Antony and the Johnson's at the

famed Knitting Factory in New York City. He has performed at the

United Nations in New York, Wiener Konzerthaus Mozartsaal in Vienna,

the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, WIGSTOCK!, the MTV Video Music

Awards with Madonna, the legendary CBGB's, Knitting Factory, Museum of

Modern Art, Lincoln Center, and the Gershwin Hotel in Manhattan, to

name a few.

 

Armen has also been featured on television and appeared in Vogue,

New York Times, New York Post, Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Amica,

Glamour, Paper, Mademoiselle, Elle, Visonaire, Time Out NY, and too

many more to mention.

 

Armen flourished, not only as a self-taught master of the theremin,

but also as one of New York's leading aesthetes. By combining both the

visual and aural aspects of his craft, Armen has developed an art form

that is truly his own and is something quite amazing to behold.

 

* A strong visual

 

Preparing costume ensembles for his performances is an organic process

for Armen. It is yet another form of artistic expression that add

layers to the listening experience. "I don't think of it as dressing

up," said Armen. "I feel that the instrument and music demand a strong

visual." Friend and renowned clothing designer Thierry Mugler has also

designed attire for Armen.

 

Armen definitely gives the audience an aesthetically alluring

visual. "Much like the films of Parajanov, especially Color of

Pomegranate," said Armen. "I wouldn't say the actors were dressed up.

However, the visual intensity and androgyny of the characters was an

artistic expression and made the film a work of art."

 

With his theremin, Armen performs his fusion of Armenian folk music

with modern instrumentation, along with melodic lounge standards and

classical arias. His unique and elegant recitals transport the

listener to a time and place of beauty, emotional healing, and, of

course, sacred glamor.

 

In 2007 the curators at the Disney Concert Hall presented a theremin

orchestra as part of Pravda, a showcase of music born in the Soviet

era. They wanted to recreate the ten-theremin orchestra that performed

in 1922 under the direction of inventor Lev Theremin himself at

Carnegie Hall. This time around, the ten thereminists were from all

over the United States and Europe. Each was sent their musical parts

to their disparate locales and they only had three rehearsals as a

group once everyone arrived in Los Angeles.

 

"It was an extraordinary and glorious experience," said Armen. "The

facilities of Disney Hall are state of the art, and it was a pleasure

to perform at such an exquisite venue."

 

There is talk of re-staging the theremin orchestra but nothing has

been confirmed yet.

 

* Armenian party monster

 

Known for his outrageous costumes, Armen was also an eminent figure of

the bustling arts scene happening in Manhattan in the 80s and 90s --

part muse, part "it" boy, part underground star.

 

When Armen first moved to New York City at the age of 16, it was a

much different place, especially the downtown club scene. "It was easy

to get into clubs if you looked interesting," said Armen, "and no one

bothered checking IDs."

 

The first time Armen went to a big club, he was discovered and

photographed by the iconic Andy Warhol. This recognition led the club

owner to ask him to come back three nights a week and put him on the

payroll. "So essentially I was paid just to attend," said Armen. Soon

after that he was introduced to all of the happening club promoters

and became a regular on the scene. Armen recounted, "I had various

jobs, mostly showing up and looking fabulous."

 

"The scene was very creative," said Armen. "We all made our own

costumes, and were very much a community." In addition to the

glamorous life, Armen modeled for photographer Roxanne Lowit (Conde

Nast) and she put him in Italian Vogue the first time when he was 20.

 

Fashion, clubbing, and fame; this extravagant lifestyle soon

revealed a shadier side. In the mid 90s the scene started to become

very dark, with the introduction of heavy drugs, as depicted in the

film Party Monster (2003), which features Armen. This led Armen to

distance himself, and he started working as a make-up artist at

Patricia Field's trendy store in Manhattan, and he began designing

handmade jewelry. (The Emmy-award-winning Field was fashion designer

for Sex and the City and Devil Wears Prada.)

 

Since his clubbing days, Armen has been featured in films and

television. He designed jewelry for Todd Oldham and was photographed

by him extensively. Armen recorded with Debbie Harry, and through the

years has schmoozed with Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, shared a stage

with Patti Labelle, modeled for renowned photographer David

Lachapelle, and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in 2000.

 

His pictures were sent to painter Salvador Dali just before he died.

Armen said, "he wanted to paint me but then he died.... Damn it!"

 

His friendship with singer-avant garde performance artist Diamanda

Galas has blossomed into more than just a personal bond. In 2003,

Galas released the album Defixiones, Will and Testament: Orders from

the Dead, an 80-minute memorial tribute to the Armenian, Greek,

Assyrian, and Hellenic victims of genocide. Galas is a staunch

supporter of Armenian causes and had Armen and his family translate

Armenian text for her genocide piece.

 

Armen's latest film appearance was in the movie Fur (2006) with

Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey, Jr. He recently filmed a piece for

the Independent Film Channel, which is airing this week. Future plans

include participating in the film adaptation of the Dorian Gray story

shooting in New York City through 2008. And, of course, theremin

performances throughout the United States and Europe in 2008.

 

Earlier this month, on November 7, Armen brought his musical genius

to the legendary Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. He played to

two sold-out crowds. The famously exclusive magic club allowed Armen

fans to enter without membership -- a feat in itself.

 

* Love is the most important ingredient

 

"I am compelled to mention that my family has been completely

supportive of all of my endeavors through the years," Armen said

proudly. "Thankfully they are all very educated, artistic, worldly,

and loving, and without their support, dedication and love this life

would have been much more difficult.

 

"My grandmother Arax Makarian is 100, and has been an important

figure in Armenian culture," added Armen. "She along with the rest of

the family is very proud of my accomplishments."

 

Armen feels privileged to have arrived in such an openminded and

supportive family. "I adore them!" he said.

 

The arts community adores Armen, too. Being an integral part of a

creative revolution in New York, his contribution to our present

artistic landscape continues to unfold.

 

connect:

www.myspace.com/armenra

 

***

 

The theremin

 

The entry for theremin in wikipedia.com offers the following

description of the instrument:

 

The theremin or thereminvox, is one of the earliest fully electronic

musical instruments. It was invented by Russian inventor Léon Theremin

in 1919, and it is unique in that it was the first musical instrument

designed to be played without being touched. It generally consists of

two pitch and one volume radio frequency oscillators and two metal

antennas. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and

sent to a loudspeaker. To play the theremin, the player moves his

hands around the two metal antennas, which control the instrument's

frequency (pitch) and amplitude (volume).

 

http://www.reporter.am/

[Anoushik]

That's really cool

 

Known for his outrageous costumes, Armen was also an eminent figure of

the bustling arts scene happening in Manhattan in the 80s and 90s --

part muse, part "it" boy, part underground star.

How old is he? I thought he was younger.

[Armenak]

I don't know his age anoushik, but it seems you were scolded by his 100-year-old grandmother earlier this year.

[VartanM]

What's his full lastname, anyone know?

[Anoushik]

I don't know his age anoushik, but it seems you were scolded by his 100-year-old grandmother earlier this year.

Interesting! I didn't notice that small detail

[Anoushik]

What's his full lastname, anyone know?

The article says that his last name is "Hovanesian".

[Anoushik]

I don't know his age anoushik, but it seems you were scolded by his 100-year-old grandmother earlier this year.

But it can't possibly be her, right? Nah... maybe a relative, otherwise I'd have to say that his 100-year-old grandmother is a pretty progressive woman, visiting online forums and posting. My mom only recently got into the idea of the internet and has been actively searching music-related videos on Youtube

[VartanM]

Thanks Anushik