Delos Rec.
Clara Rockmore : The Art of the theremin (RU/US,1975,pub.1987)*****
Bridge Rec. Clara Rockmore : Lost Theremin Album (RU/US,1975,pub.2007)*****
It came as a big surprise to me to, hearing that there were more recordings from Clara Rockmore other than that which was published on the 1987 release. Before, sources mentioned that first album as her first chance to record an album, almost after a whole lifetime, not before she was already at a certain age. The booklet of this release teaches me a lot more on the backgrounds of this. It is compiled and written with great love and respect, with beautiful anecdotes and contains a revealing compilation from different interviews taken on various occasions.
In 1975, Robert Moog was eager to make recordings from her playing. For this reason he repaired her theremin until it worked to her satisfaction.
Clara used to be a violin genius. She could play violin before she could talk, went to Conservatory at 4, she had her private teacher at 5, and gave concerts from age 6, with her sister on the piano. With her specific feeling for music, she cooperated with Leon Theremin on the development of the Theremin, to a satisfactory model with a five-octave range and some compatibilities that were needed. An interesting remark to be found in the notes is that Clara’s opinion says "Creativity does not come through her as a technical virtuosity, but as an intelligence, which is developed to a point where it can inspire others", a definition that even should be used as a reference to "Art" in general (especially for visual modern art today, which now is more abused and controlled this way by money and management).
When I heard for thefirst time the first album, “The Art of the Theremin”, I was deeply moved, and so were many others to whom I presented the music to. I always told the story of a deep soulmate understanding between Clara and Leon, and how he was kept in prison because he had worked for a previous Russian state model, and then through circumstances were still kept separated for many years until they were again able to meet at an already old age, and that it was somewhere around this time, she was able to make her first recording, and you could still hear how such moments had deeply moved her. -That’s what I recounted, because that made the best emotional preparation of a story (even if I now don’t remember if all these facts, really happened in this order, it made the connection between all the stronger),- After telling this, in combination with some explanations of the deeper and directly affecting capabilities of the instrument itself, many people after hearing the music of this album, started to cry. I heard from one friend who was touched somewhere so much, this even lasted for a longer period. Clara’s playing is unmistakably moving. And also the instrument of the Theremin itself of course is something very special. Leon Theremin worked in the scientific area of changing wavelengths (light into radiowaves, radiowaves into sounds, etc.). Some of his ideas eventually led to the transistor now commonly used in radio and in television. The theremin used some of these principles. It was played in the air, so it also has the quality of no harsh "breaks" of sounds in notes, the sound becomes extremely fluent, so only with a high sensitive control you could play it correctly, and with that extra creative talent you could also add some extra "emotionally driven" vibrations. The heard sound is built from interferences between much higher waves which we can not hear. But because of the interference (or overlapping waves) some sounds occur, which in some way originate from a much higher energy. The sound of these waves is “electronic”, but still sound warm, and almost like a human singing voice. Especially the few more melancholic pieces on ‘Art of the Theremin’ were extremely penetrating and seems to touch something of the sensitivity of the heart. On that album, Clara gave herself and her soul completely. It became perhaps my favourite album of my whole music collection.
This ‘lost album’ completes the collection of 28 recorded pieces, of which 12 were taken to form ‘the art of the Theremin’ album. This new album was not meant originally as the second album, but is compiled in a convincing way and with a wider range of emotions, using the left over 16 pieces. (Only 3 of them were previously reissued on a 2CD compilation of Nadia Reisenberg’s chamber music, which is still available).
Most of these tracks are classical pieces, interpreted with Clara's personal adaptation talent that make them work best for a Theremin performance. Two tracks have a cello ensemble arrangement, and one other track has a guitar arrangement. Other than some melancholic qualities (especially noticeable on “Ave Maria”), there are also slightly different interpretations of some classical music, which, when the theremin behaves only slightly unpredictable, the genius of Clara makes it work to move it forward towards a unique performance and interpretation (especially on the Bach interpretations). “Requiebros” by Gaspar Cassado is a slightly more exotic piece. Beautiful to hear are also two orchestrated pieces, especially H.Villa-Lobos “Aria from Bachianas Brasilieros”. Clara also succeeds well to play with some dramatic effect in the deeper notes, like on "Kaddish" (Ravel), or on “Water Boy” (Arvey Robinson). And another welcome change is the light and happy guitar piece “Estrellita” (Manuel Ponce). The most special place has the last track, “La Vie En Rose” (Louis Louiguy), -a song which was known long before Edith Piaff made it another classic-, because it can be regarded as a heart/lifesong for Clara. Saying in an interview she had a satisfying life, this song showed her intention. In every letter she always ended this with "la vie en rose". No better song could have ended this compilation.
It still is a mystery to me how the melancholic tracks can move people so much. The effect of it is comparable to Gurdjieff’s harmonium music perhaps, and the reasons given for it (see next review). In some way, they bring the listener closer to some deeper melancholy-of-the-"why"-reasons-of-life, and through sound. It is like the human voice that/who is now able to reach higher regions, and to express something a real person can never achieve for real. But for this new album also has a few "lighter" tracks, and the few tracks that are played with lower notes (with some dramatic effect). All these combinations, from deep melancholy to more peace and lighter happiness leave the listener enriched with a more balanced energy. Starting from the feelings of deepest loneliness, we must realize they are played by someone who, only after already 64 years of mastering music, was able to record some conclusions ; they shows perhaps also some mastering of a certain life’s energy.
