Well, Tom, I would have also guessed that this album wouldn't have been reissued, but, lo and behold: http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Samuel-J-Hoffman-Theremin/dp/B00000IJH7 It's a veritable theremin feast! Rod Tom Fine wrote: > This is one of many interesting Capitol "pop" albums that will > probably never see the light of day. I have a great Jack Marshall > record which has a cover of lots of pretty girls around pretty U-47 > mics that's nicely arranged and played, an early "stereo > spectacular." They were very active early on with interesting pop > music stuff, and it stands the test of time. Billy May also did a good > job in the late 60's of recreating many of the great Swing Era songs, > using top Hollywood studio musicians (some of whom were the original > players in the swing era) for Time-Life Records. The series mostly > used then-new Billy May recordings but some of it was recycled from > early 1960's Glenn Gray records which were basically the same thing > but on a lesser scale. All of that stuff is out of print right now and > it's a pity because the playing is great and the sound is usually > spectacular. > > -- Tom Fine > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rod Stephens" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2006 7:09 PM > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Clara Rockmore Theremin recordings > > >> You guys really make us work sometimes, and I just had to dig into my >> old 45s to come up with three disks from a vintage ('50s) Capitol >> album that had a seminude girl on the cover (which I can't find right >> now). It was entitled "Music for Peace of Mind" (aka theremin music). >> http://www.317x.com/albums/h/samuelhoffman/card.html >> The artists are Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman and Billy May and his >> orchestra. These are the six selections: >> >> This Room is My Castle of Quiet >> The Darkness Gives Me You Again >> Remembering Your Lips >> My Troubles Float Away Like Fallen Leaves >> Your Soft Hand on My Brow >> I Dream of a Past Love >> >> It was my first exposure to the theremin aside from its use in Miklos >> Rósza's Oscar winning score of Hitchcock's "Spellbound". >> >> Ah, youth! >> >> I'm sure someone else will come up with more information on Dr. >> Hoffman and the album. >> >> Rod Stephens >> >> Tom Fine wrote: >> >>> Hi Bret: >>> >>> Thanks for all the great information. I just ordered a copy of the >>> Bridge CD. I definitely noted the dull sound on the Delos CD and >>> just figured, well, that was what the budget allowed as far as >>> recording quality. Great to know it was actually better fidelity. >>> >>> Also good to hear the new Moog instruments are so good. I've been >>> considering one for years but know full well that to be a real >>> musician on one of these things, you need to practice as hard or >>> harder than any other instrument and the time is unlikely available >>> to me. >>> >>> Happy New Year and thanks again for the good tip. >>> >>> -- Tom Fine >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bret" <[log in to unmask]> >>> To: <[log in to unmask]> >>> Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 7:56 PM >>> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Clara Rockmore Theremin recordings >>> >>> >>>> There is a new cd release of Clara Rockmore and Nadia Reisenberg on >>>> Bridge Records: >>>> http://www.bridgerecords.com/pages/catalog/9208.htm >>>> >>>> This material that was recorded on the same days in July 1975 as the >>>> Delos release, Art of Theremin. >>>> >>>> I much prefer the sound of the Bridge 'Lost' recording, it is >>>> alive. I >>>> always thought the Delos cd recording had a dull, flat quality, >>>> compressed sounding. The high frequencies sound heavily filtered. >>>> The >>>> low end has no power. I was told by a theremin expert that the LP >>>> release of 'Art' sounds much more natural, but I don't have an lp copy >>>> to compare. >>>> >>>> Since the original multitrack recordings were only recently found in >>>> Moog's basement, I doubt that the Delos cd (released in 1987) was made >>>> from the original multitrack tapes. >>>> >>>> There are also occasional ticks and pops on the Delos cd of 'Art', >>>> which makes me wonder if they used an LP as the source for the cd >>>> release. I don't know. >>>> >>>> While there are the occasional noise reduction artifacts noticeable on >>>> the Bridge 'Lost' recording, the performances of Clara and Nadia, and >>>> the lively sound of the Theremin, and Piano are truly magnificent, and >>>> this restoration presents this in a convincing and engaging manner. I >>>> love it. >>>> >>>> I highly recommend the 'Lost' cd if you liked 'Art' in the slightest >>>> amount. >>>> >>>> Regarding modern theremin sounds compared to Clara's theremin >>>> sound, no >>>> one will ever make a theremin sound like Clara Rockmore, no matter >>>> what >>>> theremin they play, including hers. Clara said that herself. >>>> >>>> The sound of a given theremin depends not only the harmonic balance of >>>> the instrument and amplifier and loudspeaker, but who is playing it, >>>> even more so. I collect theremins, and theremin recordings, and am >>>> learning to play. >>>> I have 2 vacuum tube theremins (one is an RCA AR1264), and 2 solid >>>> state theremins. They all sound different, but with a bit of >>>> adjustment (eq, waveshape, compression, distortion, etc) can sound >>>> very >>>> similar. >>>> >>>> A modern Moog Etherwave Pro is a tremendous instrument, and if Bob >>>> Moog >>>> was alive today he would tell you it is far better instrument than any >>>> of this tube theremins that he built and sold since the 1950's. In >>>> fact he told me that years ago when I asked him about one of his >>>> vintage vacuum tube moog theremins I was considering purchasing. The >>>> EPro can make many different sounds with adjustable waveshape and >>>> filtering controls. >>>> >>>> The discontinued Moog Ethervox is also a marvelous instrument. More >>>> linear in play than the RCA, and the tone can be made to sound much >>>> like the RCA and other sounds. >>>> >>>> The original RCA had only 1 sound. But that one sound will change as >>>> vacuum tubes are swapped in, or certain resistor values are changed in >>>> the circuit. >>>> >>>> Clara's custom Termen theremin had the ability to adjust the timbre, >>>> but she always had it set only 1 way. 'That' magical sound. Her >>>> theremin had been silent for years when Bob Moog and Mike Jason helped >>>> by bringing it back to life, and getting 'that' sound for Clara. >>>> >>>> Bob Moog from the liner notes of 'lost' >>>> "The high point of my experience with Clara came when she called me >>>> because her instrument had become completely unreliable. Building >>>> theremins had been a hobby of mine for thirty or forty years, then it >>>> became a business, so naturally I was very curious to see what was >>>> inside hers that could produce such a beautiful sound. Electronics age >>>> faster than people do, and Clara's theremin, which must have been >>>> fifty >>>> >>>> years old by then, was filled with broken connections, parts that were >>>> beginning to fail, others that had shorted out. I replaced various >>>> solders and connectors, and then, with Mike Jason, Clara's own >>>> technician, tried to overhaul the instrument to make it work as much >>>> like the original as possible. We started Friday night, worked all day >>>> Saturday, and then put everything back together Sunday morning. Clara >>>> tried it out, said "No, it doesn't sound just right." The trouble was >>>> we didn't know exactly what 'just right' meant, but we fiddled with >>>> the >>>> >>>> adjustments for half an hour or so. Clara tried it once again and >>>> said, >>>> >>>> "No. Closer, but not close enough." So once again Mike and I worked >>>> and >>>> >>>> when she tried it again she didn't stop. She started playing >>>> SUMMERTIME >>>> >>>> and went right through to the end, and when she turned around she had >>>> tears in her eyes. And through her tears she said, 'I thought I would >>>> never play this instrument again.' " >>>> >>>> Bob Moog did more than anyone else to make theremin a popular >>>> instrument today, a precise instrument and not just a toy sound maker. >>>> He commissioned the recordings that we have now on Delos and Bridge, >>>> and he never made a penny on them. Without them, we would only have >>>> the Fuleihan recording of Clara. We also have the DVD of Clara and >>>> Nadia, 'The Greatest Theremin Virtuoso' thanks to Moog, so we actually >>>> get to see how she performs her magic. >>>> >>>> I think the sounds that most people associate with the theremin are >>>> either the scifi and scary Hollywood sound of Dr. Hoffman, due to his >>>> nervous vibrato and chicken pecking playing style, with much >>>> glissando, >>>> and the singing lady sound associated with Clara Rockmore and her >>>> aerial fingering, and articulated notes that sing and breathe. >>>> >>>> She was a violin virtuoso since she was 4 years old, so her >>>> intonation, >>>> and ability to make an instrument sing and breathe were already there >>>> before she ever came near a theremin. She had music in her soul. >>>> Clara and Nadia had played together since they were small children, >>>> Clara learned to read music at age 3. Nadia is one of the finest >>>> pianist that has ever lived, and teacher to many of the finest living >>>> pianists. Clara and Nadia played as ONE. >>>> >>>> Sorry I rambled. Theremin recordings are actually what brought me to >>>> audio restoration many years ago. >>>> >>>> I happen to know that there is a precision thereminist on this list. >>>> He is the one who introduced me to ARSC. I'll leave it to him to >>>> speak >>>> up if he wants. >>>> >>>> best, >>>> Bret Moreland >>>> >>>> >>>> __________________________________________________ >>>> Do You Yahoo!? >>>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >>>> http://mail.yahoo.com >>>> >>> >> >