Clara Rockmore – The Art of the theremin

Nadia Reisenberg, piano
Composers: Rachmaninoff, Saint Saëns, De Falla, Achron, Wieniawski, Stravinsky, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov

The Russian borne (1911-1998) Clara Rockmore was the youngest of three musically gifted sisters. Her oldest sister is Nadia Reisenberg who plays the piano on this cd. Clara was gifted with an ‘ absolute pitch ‘ and a great sense of music. At an age of 2, she could already sing a melody she heard and even find the notes on a piano. She started to play the violin and at an age of 5(!) she was admitted to the Conservatory of Music in st. Petersburg. When she was 9 years old she started to tour in Europe, accompanied by her sister Nadia. Her tour led her to New York where she met Leon Theremin the first time (1927). In new York Theremin trained musicians to play slow and simple music on the theremin. Clara was one of them. She was able to develop a technique for greater control and precise articulation, to play much more complex music. In 1934 Clara gave her first solo concert on theremin. The instrument she used was made to her specification by Theremin himself. She played the theremin in a way no-one kept for possible.

The cd holds 12 pieces of music from different composers. Miss Rockmore returned from her retirement to record these songs in 1987.

Vocalise (1912) and Song of Grusia by Rachmaninoff.
Carnival of the animals, The swan (1886) by Saint Saëns.
Pantomime (1914) by De Falla.
Hebrew Melody (1911) by Achron.
Romance sans paroles et Rondo élégant Op. 9 (1853) by Wieniawski.
Berceuse (1929) by Stravinsky.
Pièce en forme de Habanera by Ravel.
Op. 16: no 1, Cradle song (1872), Valse sentimentale (1882), Sérénade mélancolique (1875), by Tchaikovsky.
Chant du ménestrel by Glazunov.