Meditation from "Thaïs" - Randy George, theremin

[chrishajduk84]

@JosephMesh It was actually developed as a proximity sensor lol. But then it was developed into a musical instrument.

[chrishajduk84]

I played this on a violin, and this sounds like it is 100x harder to play than the violin. Good Job! It sounds great!!!!!!!

[lucillehan]

What a hillbilly I am ! This is the first time I come across such an instrument.

[Chargal4]

I have been listening to theremins for the past day! I've been fascinated by them and their mysterious qualities.

[CatFlashBlue]

I played this an octave lower on viola, and I think the viola transposition is more beautiful than the violin one. It's difficult to make violin sound truly beautiful in the higher range. Or perhaps it's just more difficult to please me with a higher violin composition. This rendition sounded like the violin was drunk, but I mean that in a funny-good way. It's a little "swoopy".

[ajayourba]

Wonderful job. this sounds so very beautiful.

[chunataro]

hey mann!!! youre great, do you know where can i get the same theremin than yours its wounderful i wanna buy the sameeee, help pleaseee

[DarksoldierX2]

Absolutely wonderful! Do you have any advice for someone starting out on the theremin? I've had mine for about 2 weeks now and can somewhat find pitches within a song, but not good enough to perform like this.

[aralox]

its beautiful, gives me the chills

[vivalacocacola]

2009! I did not noticed this, I would see you, what a pity!

[BuggttiVeyronW16]

Having hearing a concert on this piece I have to say this is unbelievable for an original physics device to have a such extended use.

[jasondavisdotcom]

Fantastic and magical. I just discovered your music today and I'm an instant fan!

[billnoceros]

truly amazing! thank you for this beautiful work of art!

[studiojulio]

I sounds like a woman singing at times.

[luisgepeto]

you have really improved! congratulations

[heatherpgarrison]

You are brilliant.

[ninoisagod]

hahaha damn u are awesome, its funny how someone moved at 3:20 and u can hear them moving!

[pope0331]

Buenísimo... es muy complejo mantener la afinación pues el menor movimiento, incluso hasta del cuerpo, altera la nota. Un poco más de vibrato violinístico y estaría para chuparse los dedos. Felicidades incluso al sensible acompañamiento del piano.

[caracolrojo]

Acompañamiento dice...jajaja siempre nos disminuyen! jjajaja

[SheerGlade]

That is very beautiful. : ) You're very talented.

[Jk1991metal]

it's a very strange instument, i really don't know how it works :P

[AakwardAardvark]

Ya at many times sounds like an opera singer and other times sounds weird.

I wanna learn this instrument =P

btw 69th comment XD

[d3ath2st1cky]

wat do the notes look like for that?!?! lol does it show how to position ur hand...btw great playing...puts me rite to sleep!! wonderful man keep it up

[Vaynor]

There are no specific positions for your hands, you just have to know the instrument and the music.

[NDS525]

Ever heard of a trombone?

[mickel1138]

LOL! Some old people reaching for their program books. "What the hell is this crap, I thought this is classical music!"

Damn socialites! You did great Randy!

[TehBuhb]

Sounds like a mix between an Opera singer and a violin.

[ReniFrog]

thats EXACTLY what i was thinking

[djbass101]

@TehBuhb Indeed, I love the sound of a theremin. And to see it used in this type of classical environment is amazing. I would have never thought of such a radical instrument used here, but now seeing it being used by a master is breathtaking.

[JosephMesh]

@djbass101 Actually, the theremin was actually originally intended to be used for classical music. It was invented by Leon Theremin in 1928 for that very purpose. Sadly, Theremin was well before his time, and by the time his instrument got the recognition it deserved it had already moved primarily to other uses and hasn't yet really retaken its place as an instrument in the classical world.

[dalagutten]

thank's to you, I got a suitable project for my elektronic's education. I'm gonna make a Theremin. maybe I end up playing it as a hobby rather than for fun.

from Norwegian Fan!

[dvision23]

Really good playing Randy.

[kenji1988]

Hey Randy! How's it going?

[ooo6]

Thank you all very much for the wonderful comments!

[heiyoulianglaohu]

You are fuckin' rockin' this thing!!! Seriously man, THIS is music!!!! 5 stars all day long!

[Selothi]

Meh, I don't find the theremin do be QUITE fitting for classical music, but some moments sounded great. The instrument reminds me too much of corny sci-fi film soundtracks ! :P But yeah, I can still admire your talent and have to admit that is does sound good. Maybe the sound just isn't mellow enough to work properly, though there were a few moments where I genuinely thoughts that the theremin sounded like a singer, which is good, ja ?

Anyway, still a great performance, and keep going !

[misturchips]

Again, Mr. George and accompaniment produce stellar tone. Although I could sense a tad bit of nervous energy at a couple points (It's IMPOSSIBLE for something like that NOT to show when playing a theremin, right?), Randy certainly performed well. Jose and he definitely showed timing excellence!

[DrummerCoCa]

Excellent work!

[LinkBulletBill]

depends what settings you put it on...

[groovekitty70]

Wrong chord at first, but cleverly corrected in an almost unnoticeable way.

[groovekitty70]

Actually, it was the bass note that was set up incorrectly, but the chord that followed quickly hid it. Listen to how the bass is struck--then it quickly disappears to let the treble chord tones take over the tonality. Lasts but a split second.

[kenji1988]

hm hm Mr. groovekitty70, hello! I'm the pianist and I have to say that you're wrong and I'm gonna explain why. It'd be easier if you had the sheet music of this, preferably the piano reduction (as, obviusly, is the one I used, though anyway if you have the orchestra version, the chord in that measure is the same). Well, then let's go to measure 48 and examine the chord. I'm doing so right now and, what do we have here?.....

[kenji1988]

Oh! A dominant seventh chord, D7 with the seventh (C) in the bass to be precise, which is clearly different from the chord used in all the other times we hear this motif in the piece

(it's an ordinary major chord with the root in the bass in those cases). So I'm playing it correctly (you can check it in any other version of the piece rightly played).

And if you don't like the chord, maybe you should contact Massenet and try to persuade him to change it,

though I guess that's

[kenji1988]

gonna be quite impossible.

Bye and have fun!

[groovekitty70]

Well hello Mr. kenji. Right you are...it IS a dominant seventh--but why did you back off of it so? It was as if something was not right with the chord--perhaps a whole step up from the bass? The chord works perfectly if re-voiced and if you don't sneak up on it so much. I don't have the same "arrangement" you have--mine has the bass line with a tri-tone from the C going to F# which is a cleaner sound than the whole step "C" to "D"--it's less "muddy." MS. Groovekitty.

[kenji1988]

Hi Ms. Grovekitty! How is it going?

Well, I sneaked up on that chord because I wanted a great contrast between the forte in the previous measure and the pianissimo subito that follows. Personally, I like the effect. In my version I have the whole step C to D, which is not that dissonat. Come on, it's just a major second in a context of dominant seventh. You ca find that in the Baroque or even before. What's more, that C in the bass is actually an appoggiatura of the B which follows

[kenji1988]

the bass line in the next measure, and I also have a F# later in measure 48 which leads in the next measure to G. All together make a very beautiful C-F# to B-G (augmented 4th to Major 6th). The D which forms the whole step with the first C works as a common note of both chords in measures 48 and 49 respectively. By the way. maybe I sound rude, but it's not my intention. And as we're commenting my mistakes, I refer you to a more evident one in 2:50! But don't tell anybody, right? hehe

[kenji1988]

Well, that's all!

Nice to meet you Ms. Groovekitty!

Regards from Spain!

[kenji1988]

Well, I said it was an apoggiatura and actually it's not. It's what we call in Spain "nota de paso", (sorry I don't know how to say it in English), which basically means that the bass line follos a... hmmm... I don't know how to explain. Here we have D-Db-C-B-A-G. That C is the one in measure 48 so it makes a succession with the other notes.

Sorry for writing so much!

[groovekitty70]

Ahh, I understand the effect you were going for--I like the idea--very expressive choice. The whole step isn't terribly dissonant, no. It's just that I find it muddy in that octave, but perhaps that's a personal preference. I have another version for organ with the same voicing as yours.

Yes, we call it a passing tone to the first inversion G chord. I'm enjoying the discussion, and I don't find you rude. I was teasing you about the Mr. "thing." Thanks for writing and please keep in touch!

[groovekitty70]

Bravo, Randy. What an inspired interpretation. What happened with the pianist at 3:46?

[rev6605]

i subscribed a long time ago and you never posted anything else. i finally got an email about this new vid.. i am blown away dude, amazing job

[graal7]

belle performance bravo

[IggyReloaded]

It's not really out of tune, it's just that you can't go directly from one tune to the other, he has to 'slide' from one tune to the next

[lostinspirations]

It was pretty good for the most part, but man did the theremin go out of tune sometimes.

[SharkSnack]

Why the LOL??? Are you suggesting that only the elderly can appreciate classical music, or do you simply like laughing at old people? The ten heads visible hardly represent an entire audience - just those who can afford the seats near the front. And anyway, the two on the far right are teenage girls - you can see them clearly at the end when they applaud.

Great performance of beautiful music - and the only comment you can make is a sniggering jibe at old people.

[wglmb]

It's hard to tell, but the two women (girls?) at the front right look young...

And anyway, I agree with SharkSnack; what's your point?

[TravisTricky]

I have been eagerly awaiting another one of your videos, but what you have provided here has exceeded any hope or expectation I could have had, simply wonderful

[Lypur]

wow....i've been playing piano for 18 years, teaching for 6 years and I've never heard of this instrument... it's amazing

[rudiedisone]

Amazing! Anyone whose ever played one of these

knows how hard it is to play 'Mary had a little lamb" let

alone classical music! GREAT TALENT!

[n8rtheimpersonater]

Fantastic ^_^

[petycash11]

long time no see uv been quite great stuff man

[ooo6]

Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments. I hope everyone that enjoyed it will visit my website to see/hear more from the concert. Cheers! - Randy

[Kn0wnIssues]

Just beautiful. Both the music AND the venue! I love Randy's technique. At times it really has the quality of the human voice.

[MarceloBatista1]

Wonderful!!! Very goooooooood work!!! Well played. This is the first time I hear this beautiful instrument.

Congratulations to Randy George ( theremin )and the pianist, José Serrano

Best wishes.

Marcelo Batista (marcelobatista1 YouTube)

Memories of Brazil

[mynameisnotalfredo]

Anyone know what kind of theremin was used? Incidentally, this was so ethereal. It's haunting...

[Thereminstrel]

mynameisnotalfredo>> in answer to your question, this is a Moog Etherwave Pro theremin.

[mynameisnotalfredo]

Thank you!

[airmusician1]

Muy bueno Randy, sigue asi! Gracias por tu musica.

[ShaxDr87]

Sounds like a women who can't sing.

[DLC77]

Sounds like a "men" who can't write proper sentences.

[noisyman2]

lol

[TheThinkerMusic]

OH SNAP :O

[Atuin]

one of my favorite pieces ever, and you did a fabulous job capturing the original feeling

[ThomasGrillo]

Very well done. Thanks. :)

[Calculate900]

This is such a great song.

[paisleypower30]

That was wonderful!

[richarddude4816]

nice performance :)

[LeDiscret91]

In one word : AMAZING

[floooooooooooooooood]

i do like this music

[cuallito]

So that's where you've been,. travelling the world!

[nelloney]

wow.....just wow. That was amazing

[sycragamer]

that was beautiful ;___;

[trumpmech]

wow- loved it.

[prontoamico]

u da boss. tho i still luv ur daft punk vid the best :)

[halfjaw77]

At last!

Just what I was in the mood for!

[smileykincaid]

agh what's with the monkey suit, mang? (nice otherwise)

[DuendeBimbo]

very good

[flippicat]

It's nice to see a musician so passionate about his instrument.

[Thereminstrel]

Truly wonderful! I wish I could play like that. This inspires me to keep practicing this amazing instrument despite the ongoing difficulty & discouragement!

[comedyjuggler690]

Amazing!

[schmutzgreiffer]

Thank you.

[HCLcoasters]

nice job.

I was just in Spain.

[sabelomen]

awsome!

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