Here is Theremin World's very own THIERRY FRENKEL playing a charming and inventive version of THE NIGHTINGALE by Russian composer Alexander Alyabyev.
Just as an historical aside, this composition became famous because it was a favorite of opera sopranos who frequently sang it during "the singing lesson" scene in Act II of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Rossini.
I think Thierry could give any opera diva a good run for her money!!
Thank you, coalport, for your kind words.
I received in the meantime more video clips from that public lecture/mini-concert which was held on March 22 at the conservatory in Grasse (southern France). Grasse is mainly known as "THE French perfume town" and was immortalized in Patrick Suesskind's novel "The perfume".
Here is a recording of an improvisation for Ondes Martenot, Theremin, prepared Piano and prerecorded Tape:
WHAT??
This wonderful piece of experimental "new music" from someone who, up until recently, has suggested that this is not the sort of music of which the late inventor of the theremin, Lev Sergeievitch Termen, would have approved....??? LOL
Thierry, I loved the part where you threw golf balls onto the piano strings. I particularly liked the WAY you did it. You crept up to the piano like a guilty kid who is about to do something very naughty and when you finished, you slithered back to the theremin with a much-too-satisfied look on your face.
For me, the theremin was most effective when it was playing in its bass register. That is where I felt it added a dimension that none of the other instruments could provide.
I guess what I liked most about this performance was the obvious sense of fun and enthusiasm of the participants. I often find what kills these kinds of performances for me, is the deadly seriousness (dare I say PRETENTIOUSNESS) with which the musicians take what they are doing.
Yeah, what's up with dat? :)
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WHAT??
This wonderful piece of experimental "new music" from someone who, up until recently, has suggested that this is not the sort of music of which the late inventor of the theremin, Lev Sergeievitch Termen, would have approved....??? LOL
Dominik, the "tape" is actually a CD which French (Lyon based) composer Bernard Fort created as a base for improvisations, mixing sounds recorded from birds in the nature and "artificial" sounds, including church organ. In total, this CD has 11 tracks, each dedicated to another variety of birds. We used just the last two tracks of them.
Coalport wrote "Next thing ya know, Thierry will be putting out a CD of Enya's Greatest Hits! LOL"
No, Enya is definitively not my thing. I've grown up with Gilbert Bécaud and Charles Aznavour, but their songs are not well playable on the theremin.
It also was not planned from my side that I partake in that improvisation, but both ladies, the pianist and the ondist, convinced me to play the game because they found that the Ondes and the Theremin mixed and blended well together. And who am I to contradict two professional musicians?
I found myself being the weakest element in the chain during that whole weekend in southern France, at least musically. My playing was (and one can clearly see and hear that on the recordings) marked by insecurity and lacking self-confidence, while everything seemed so easy and normal for the ladies who have been professional musicians for decades.
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