hello all
a quick introduction: my name is bruce tovsky and i’m a long-time theremin fan and player. i’m also a commercial video editor, and i worked on the theremin documentary with filmmaker steve martin (no, not that steve martin.) i’m also a long-time moog fan and i use a moog source regularly live and in the studio.
but enough about me, i’m using this first post to the forum to give a quick review of the killer theremin concert that was held this last friday at the very cool very chic issue project room here in brooklyn. organized by issue project director suzaanne fiol (a budding thereminist herself) and virtuosic thereminist dorit chrysler, the evening featured five highly skilled and diverse players: dorit, armin ra, rob schwimmer, david simons and anthony ptak. the evening began with a set by david simons, whose approach was to blend the sound of his etherwave with samples and processing that he triggered using the pitch and volume of the theremin. david’s intense concentration and almost martial arts style movements made for a fascinating set. dorit was next up, and her virtuosity on the etherwave pro was immediate - total pitch control and beautifully expressive playing was her forte. dorit mixes her gorgeous playing with a witty set of songs, some of which incorporated a groovy lounge vibe and benefited from her sexy vocals. dorit was followed by rob schwimmer, a solid traditionalist who played a set of classical and filmscore pieces with a lovely touch. after rob was anthony ptak, who after his passionate introductory remarks blew everyone away with his custom built polyphonic theremin. you had to be there, but it was the most radical theremin playing i’ve ever seen. the evening was brought to a close with the pristine beauty of armin ra, who rivalled dorit with his exacting pitch and who brought an otherworldly presence to the event.
suzanne is planning to expand the theremin orchestra lineup, and more concerts are planned for early next year.
cheers
bruce
Sounds incredible. Thanks for the review.