The ‘Terpsitone’, Leon Termen, USA & Russia,1932.

Termen’s Terpsitone 1936. Clara Rockmore, Theremin virtuoso dances with the Terpsitone at Carnegie Hall, March 10th, 1933. Image Popular Science 1933.

The Ether-wave Dance Platform later named the Terpsitone, named after the muse of dance Terpsichorè, was a movement controlled instrument using the same capacitance principles of the Theremin.1Sachs, Joel, (2012) Henry Cowell : a man made of music, New York : Oxford University Press, 224. The Terpsitone was designed built by Leon Termen for his wife the US dancer Lavinia Williams.2 Mattis, Olivia, (1989) Interview of Leon Theremin (Lev Sergeyevich Termen), Bourges, France, 16 June 1989, http://www.vasulka.org/, retrieved 21-01-202. The Terpsitone removed the control antenna of the Theremin and replaced it with a large metal sheet hidden under the floor. Movements of the dancer in the area above the sheet caused variations in pitch of the Terpsitone’s oscillators due to the capacitance of the dancer’s bodies. This instrument was used for several ‘exotic’ dance, music and light shows throughout the 1930’s. As Termen described it:

“This is a platform that a person dances on. When the dancer’s body is low, you hear the lowest pitch. When the dancer raises her body, the pitch also goes up. It’s also possible to dance without changing the sound. For instance, if the dancer raises one arm and lowers the other, there will be no change in pitch. But if the dancer raises both arms, then the pitch will go up. […] If the dancer goes more forward, it pets louder. When she steps back, the sound gets quieter. I had a Terpsitone dance studio in New York. I had many pupils dancing there.”3 Mattis, Olivia, (1989) Interview of Leon Theremin (Lev Sergeyevich Termen), Bourges, France, 16 June 1989, http://www.vasulka.org/, retrieved 21-01-202.

The Terpsitone at the Theremin Institute, Moscow. Image: Theremin Institute,/Andrey Smirnov.

Gimazutdinov describes the Terpsitone in the Prometheus journal:

“During his long and bright life, Leo Sergeyevich Termen made numerous discoveries and inventions. Among the different kind of brilliant inventions was the Terpsitone – which makes it possible for dancers to combine movement of body with music and light. Idea of the Terpsitone occurred to L.Termen at the beginning of the 20th century, probably, immediately after the creation of Thereminvox. But as opposed to the Thereminvox where the pitch of tone and loudness depends on the position of the hands of the musician, the Terpsitone frequency and amplitude of sound are determined by a change in the position of entire body of a dancer. The operating principle of the Terpsitone is very similar to the operating principle Thereminvox, based on obtaining audio beat-frequencies, formed by the interaction of high-frequency fluctuations of two oscillators. One has frequency rigidly fixed, while in the second is variable. In the second oscillator the frequency depends on a change in the distance between the capacitor plates of oscillatory circuit. One of the capacitor plates is an isolated, metallic plate placed on the floor of dancing hall, and second facing the body of the dancer. By moving through the space the dancer affects a change in the capacity of oscillatory circuit and, correspondingly, a change in the difference audio frequency. This signal is amplified and sent to the loudspeaker. Thus the motions of the dancer is converted into sound, which change synchronously with a change in the position of body. The possibility of adding automated colour is an additional special feature of the invention. The “visual sound display” is a panel with  lamps, painted in different colours where the lamps light up to the motion of the dancer, moreover lamps with the specific colour corresponds to each note. However, this is ensured partially mechanically.

The Terpsitone in the acoustic laboratory, Moscow, 1966 consists of:

1) the electronic-music block, which works on the principle of Thereminvox with heterodyning high frequencies, with the device for vibrato and by a change in the loudness of sounding loudspeaker

2) An  electrical capacitance dancing platform with the size of 2 X of 1,8 X of 0.2 meters with that placed under it along entire its length and width by the electrode, connected through the resonance involving system with one of the high-frequency generators of musical block;

3) A dynamic loud-speaker with control of intensity and timbre. A Range-tool for the performance of melody by the motions of arms, head and legs of the dancer who stands on the platform – 2 octaves. More low-pitched sounds correspond to the locked position of hands and housing of that dancing, high to a maximally opened position, with the large external overall sizes. This experimental device adapts for training the executors of this new form of choreographic- musical skill. Are developed also the electrical circuits of the additional devices:

3.1) movement of executor forward gives audio gain, and its presence in the background ceases sound by means of the electrical capacitance influence on the electrode, fastened on the rear wall of dancing platform

3.2) the invariability of the pitch of tone with the displacement of that dancing and the appearance of that corresponding to the position of the executor of the new height of sounding with the cessations of motion.

Executors: Heads by the laboratory of acoustics and sound recording – Yurchenko A.D, the supervisor of sector – Termen L.CH., engineer – Rudakov YE.A., engineer – Matveyev V.N., technician.”

4Gimazutdinov K.N. (1966) Termen’s “Terpsitone”, Kazan, NII – SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE “Prometheus”.

References:

  • 1
    Sachs, Joel, (2012) Henry Cowell : a man made of music, New York : Oxford University Press, 224.
  • 2
    Mattis, Olivia, (1989) Interview of Leon Theremin (Lev Sergeyevich Termen), Bourges, France, 16 June 1989, http://www.vasulka.org/, retrieved 21-01-202.
  • 3
    Mattis, Olivia, (1989) Interview of Leon Theremin (Lev Sergeyevich Termen), Bourges, France, 16 June 1989, http://www.vasulka.org/, retrieved 21-01-202.
  • 4
    Gimazutdinov K.N. (1966) Termen’s “Terpsitone”, Kazan, NII – SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE “Prometheus”.

One thought on “The ‘Terpsitone’, Leon Termen, USA & Russia,1932.”

  1. id like to buiild this. where can i find the apropriate circuit diagrams and or instructions?

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