Ever heard of a theremin? It's an electronic musical instrument invented in Russia circa 192os. It's controlled without actually touching the device. I mention it because my friend sent me this YouTube video for some laughs:
That ensemble (if you made it through the video, hehe) was playing the Matryomin, a variant of the theremin invented by Masami Takeuchi. The theremin fits inside a Russian matryoshka, or nesting doll.
It's the melding of two distinct cultures: Japan and Russia! The result is an instrument that is as diverse and bizarre as any I've ever seen...
I loved the sound of the Oud, and came across oud player Ali Hassan:
I tried visiting to the website, learnoud.com, but it's all in Arabic. :(
P.S. This makes me really miss Mark the grad student...
This next oud player is seriously cool. He developed a technique to play the instrument one-handed, in order to give amputees and disabled persons an opportunity to make music!!! Awesome.
I was also very intrigued by the Sarangi, and this video provides an excellent, detailed view of the instrument and the player. You can see the tabla player in the background as well!
Oh my gosh Sara. That New World video is amazing.....ly terrible. Haha. I can't get over the gliss. at the beginning of the attacks. A proximity instrument? Really? Their faces are the best part. The one lady just staring straight ahead like, "Oh man I hope no one is watching me play this darn thing." That would be a good video to improv captions for. : D
ReplyDeleteoh. and check out how creepy this is. the pairing of the piano and the theremin is just too much for me to take. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxVVzeNVi_w
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of the theremin.
ReplyDeleteElectronic instruments are interesting- I also like looking at different ways traditional instruments are electronicized.