Rare Theremin Recordings of dr. Samuel Hoffman

http://www.thorwaldjorgensen.com |
dr. Samuel Hoffman plays Kol Nidrei, Eli, Eli and Moonlight Sonata.

dr. Samuel. Hoffman (July 23, 1903 - December 6, 1967) was a notable thereminist. At age 14, began playing the violin professionally in New York City. Under the stage name Hal Hope, he led nightclub and society bands. By 1936, he had taken up the theremin and begun featuring it in publicity for his engagements, he is most know for playing the Thereminparts in famous hollywood movie scores such as "Spellbound" by Rosza and The Day the Earth Stood Still" by Herrmann.
In the seventies Clara Rockmore, the greatest Thereminst ever, mentiond in an interview that she was asked to do Spellbound. She refused because she didn't want to make spooky noises with her instrument. One can only wonder if she ever regretted that desicion in the light of the great acclaim it brought dr. Hoffman, she had to witness a much less polished Thereminst, playing an instrument inferior to hers, receive widespread fame and financial success!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• dr
• Samuel
• Hoffman
• Theremin
• Kol
• Nidrei
• Jewish
• prayer
• Eli
• Moonlight
• Sonata
• electronic
• instrument

[bobbo924B]

The quality of any instrument is in the playing of it. None have yet compared to Rockmore, though Dr. Hoffman was immensely popular. The RCA, a tube instrument, sounded somewhat like Clara's, that particular blend of vocal and rosined strings, but it was Clara's playing that distinguishes her from all other thereminists since. Inferior? How do you mean?

[thorwaldjorgensen]

@bobbo924B ofcourse Rockmore was/is the best player, but I was talking about her instrument! No instrument before or after hers (and Lucie Bigelow Rosen) we're up to that standard! I was like a Stradivarius among the Theremins (I think I miss used the word inferior;-) I ofcourse mean that her instrument is the best ever build and Hoffman's had just an RCA Theremin, so his Theremin was inferior to Rockmore's

[jslasher1]

I do not agree with Thorwald Jorgensen's comment that Dr Hoffman's instrument was inferior to Rockmore's. Both theremins, which were manufactured by RCA, are of approximately the same vintage. However, Rockmore's was later improved upon by Robert Moog when the original electronics began to malfunction on account of age. 

[thorwaldjorgensen]

@jslasher1 Well you've got your historic facts mixed up ;-) Clara Rockmore's Theremin wasn't an RCA at all, it was custom build for her by none other than Leon Theremin. They basically worked together on this instrument and the result was "like I already said" an instrument not only inferior to Hoffman but to every Theremin ever build after that. Moog only revised her Theremin in (in the late eighties) but he didn't change anything he just replaced some parts in order to make it work again!

[yeapsystar]

... Er gaat toch niks boven echte oude theremin muziek heh? ;-)

[neonwind]

Brilliant! I was thiking I was orginal with wordless choirs & theremin, but Dr Hoffman beart me to it!

Thank you for uploanding this material.

[p2onderzoekyout]

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