Maurice Martenot

About me:

Maurice Martenot (1898-1980) a Cellist and radio Telegraphist, met the Russian designer of the Theremin, Leon Termen in 1923, this meeting lead him to design an instrument based on Termens ideas , the first model, the "Ondes-Martenot" was patented on the 2nd of April 1928 under the name "Perfectionnements aux instruments de musique électriques" (improvements to electronic music instruments). His aim was to produce a versatile electronic instrument that was immediately familiar to orchestral musicians. The first versions bore little resemblance to the later production models: consisteing of two table mounted units controlled by a performer who manipulated a string atached to a finger ring (using the bodies capacitance to control the sound characteristics in a manner very similar to the Theremin) this device was later incorporated as a fingerboard strip above the keyboard. Later versions used a standard keyboard. ("Martenot waves"; also known as the Ondium Martenot, Martenot and Ondes musicales) is an early electronic musical instrument with a keyboard and slide, and originally very similar in sound to the Theremin. The sonic capabilities of the instrument were subsequently expanded by the addition of filter banks and switchable loudspeakers. The instrument is especially known for its eerie wavering notes produced by the thermionic valves that produce oscillating frequencies. The Ondes Martenot has been used by many composers, most notably Olivier Messiaen. He used it in many of his works, such as the Turangalîla-Symphonie and the Trois Petites Liturgies de la Présence Divine; his opera Saint-François d'Assise calls for three. Other composers included Pierre Boulez, Edgard Varèse, Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger and Maurice Jarre; André Jolivet wrote a concerto for it in 1947. Bohuslav Martinu authorized the adaptation of his "Fantasie" to the use of the Ondes Martenot when it proved difficult to perform on the Theremin, for which it was originally written. About 1000 works were composed for the instrument including 40 concertos. ..