Ondes Martenot

The Ondes Martenot (plural; French for " Martenot waves ", when it was launched in 1928 called Ondes Musicales, "Musical Waves" ) are a monophonic electronic musical instrument.

They were invented by its namesake, the French music educators and Radio Amateur Maurice Martenot, inspired by a meeting with the inventor of the Theremin, Lev Sergeyevich terms, in 1923. Like the Theremin based the Ondes Martenot on the principle of the beat Summers, whose sound can be changed with electronic filters. The electronic keyboard instrument with 7 octaves is played with the right hand over a manual or by means of a ring ( glissandi ), while dynamics and timbre can be controlled with the left hand. The ring Glissandi sitting on a wire which is guided parallel to the keyboard. In early versions of the instrument, the pitch is controlled only by the ring, the keyboard was used solely for visual orientation. With the left hand the player can adjust the volume and influence through filters the tone.

Of the early electronic musical instruments, it is regarded as that which was most widely used. It was particularly used by major composers from France, among others, Olivier Messiaen, Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, André Jolivet, Charles Koechlin and Edgar Varèse. In the film music instrument collection held by composers such as the Frenchman Maurice Jarre, but also by the Americans Elmer Bernstein. The small-scale series production was discontinued in 1968, only in 2001 again a first instrument according to the old rules was built.

Examples of the use of the ondes Martenot

  • In the opera Saint François d' Assise Olivier Messiaen used in the orchestra three Ondes Martenot ( widely distributed ), in his Turangalîla Symphony he set the Ondes Martenot as concertante solo instrument, further Trois petites liturgies in his de la présence divine.
  • Edgar Varèse put the Ondes Martenot in his plays Ecuatorial ( revised version, previously Theremincello ) and a Nocturnal.
  • In dramatic oratorio Jeanne d' Arc au bûcher by Arthur Honegger Ondes Martenot play an important role. ( Honegger was one of the first composers who gave this instrument in the orchestra space ).
  • For the music for the film Lawrence of Arabia, the composer Maurice Jarre used in addition to conventional instruments, the sound of the Ondes Martenot. Other movies with incisive Ondes Martenot - solos are, for example, the billion-dollar brain (music by Richard Rodney Bennett ), Ghostbusters, My Left Foot (the latter both set to music by Elmer Bernstein ).
  • The ondes Martenot in recent times by the British band Radiohead ( albums Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief ) were used in rock music. Played the instrument is here by Jonny Greenwood, which it began in his film scores to Bodysong and There Will Be Blood for the same film.
  • The French composer Yann Tiersen was accompanied on several albums as well as concerts by Christine Ott on the Ondes Martenot.
  • On Bryan Ferry As Time Goes By played on some pieces Ondes Martenot.
  • The Belgian cabaret singer Jacques Brel repeatedly made the Ondes Martenot as an accompanying instrument, as well as in his famous song Ne me quitte pas.
  • On Tucker Zimmerman 's Lp 0ver here in Europe the Ondes Martenot is used, played by Tristan Murail.

Player of the Ondes Martenot

Valérie Hartmann- Claverie

Video

  • Thomas Bloch plays ondes Martenot, glass harmonica, and Cristal Baschet ( Youtube )
Beat frequency oscillator Glissando Electronic musical instrument#Theremin Amnesiac (album)
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