What are Martenot waves?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Electronic music originated in the early twentieth century. It was then that composers from different countries made attempts to create musical instruments in which electronic devices are used to reproduce sounds. One of the early ones is the Martenot waves. We will learn about the history of creation, device and features of the sound of this instrument in this article.

Opening

As World War I drew to a close, French radio operator Maurice Martenot discovered the possibility of making music with a military radio station. As a result of long experiments, he was able to get a clear sound, which was produced by equipment lamps. And controlling the frequency of their oscillations made it possible to extract original melodies with a singing sound reminiscent of a radio whistle. This appears when setting up old receivers and is familiar to almost everyone today.

It should be noted that Maurice Martenot was not an inventor. But from childhood he was fond of music, learned to play the piano and cello, professionally played theviolin and, in collaboration with her older sister Madeleine, developed a method for teaching the art of music. Later, together they opened a special school for children. And in 1933 Maurice was awarded the gold medal. Louis Lepin for the invention of educational musical games. His younger sister Ginette was one of the first successful performers on the Martenot wave instrument.

Parallel history

The main theme of Maurice's work was musical electricity. This hobby began in 1919 upon returning from military service. Experiments and research dragged on for nine years. The result was Ondes Martenot (French for "Electric Waves of Martenot"). The instrument was officially presented to the public at the Paris Exhibition in 1928.

It became one of the first in electromusic and vaguely resembled the theremin, invented eight years earlier by the Soviet inventor Lev Theremin. Both musical instruments were similar in their structure and the principle of creating sounds. In addition, the research and development of their electromusic pioneers took place in parallel. According to official figures, Martenot and Theremin did not know each other until 1930. Then their inventions were already patented. However, there are sources claiming that their meeting took place for the first time in 1923. This is what prompted the French musician to create his own electric instrument.

Device

Classic Martenot waves were essentially a monophonic synthesizer and had a 7-octave keyboard. The instrument was distinguished by an unusual way of extracting sounds. They were created using an electrical circuit, which was assembled on transistors and controlled by pressing keys. The sound was then transmitted through the amplifier to the loudspeaker system.

The performer had the ability to control the amplitude and wavelength of the signal. On the left side of the instrument were a wooden button that calls his voice, and special mode switches that adjust the volume and tone of the sound. For the same purpose, a ring with a strong stretched thread was fixed on the index finger of the performer's right hand. Bringing the hand closer or further away from the instrument, one could change the key with a variety of dynamics: from the effect of vibrato (sound takeoff) to glissandro (slide of sounds).

Evolution

Since the invention of the Martenot wave, a number of changes have taken place. The first model of the instrument became original and resonant in the world of music. However, its design had some drawbacks. It was quite difficult to play the instrument, and the highest degree of skill was required from the performer.

In the final version, designed by Maurice Martenot, a thread with a ring was stretched in front of the keys, and notches for the fingers were placed under it. They were marked in black and white, in accordance with musical chromatism. Photographs of the Martenot waves that have survived to this day demonstrate the innovation. To create vibrating effects, the keys began to move from side to side. Now the musician could imitate a menacing roar or the buzzing of a mosquito.

The sound amplifier kit deserves special attention. It included three elements: Principal (normal loudspeaker), Palme (12-string resonant cone) and Metallique (metal tone loudspeaker).

In the 70s, the French musician-inventor's instrument was modernized on the basis of semiconductor elements, and in the 90s it became digital. Now, when you press the keys, a special Martenot wave controller converts them into digital commands and transmits them to external devices (for example, a computer). Modern electronic guitars and drum kits work on the same principle.

From the very beginning, Maurice Martenot had no intention of putting the instrument into series production. He understood that a manual approach was needed in its creation. Therefore, after the death of the musician, the release stopped. Today there are about 50 copies of the waves, several of them were preserved by the son of Martenot.

Sound

During a presentation at an exhibition in Paris in 1928, the Martenot waves were called a "singing" instrument. Its modern version sounds almost the same as the classical one. The performer can create music that resembles a whistle, a soft howl, and even a growling bass. Modern electro-acoustic sounding is in many ways reminiscent of the music of DJ Skrillex with a thin mew of the strings and a sharp blowing of the speakers. The music, performed on the classical waves of Martenot, is more associated with operatic singing. At the same time, it keeps something mysterious, even mystical.

Music

From the very beginningThe appearance of the Martenot wave caused a lot of curiosity on the part of composers. In 1946, Olivier Messiaen wrote the Turangalila symphony. In it, the waves were given a secondary part of the performance.

The fantastic sound of the waves can be heard on the soundtracks of the futuristic films Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Mad Max (1979).

Maurice Martenot himself possessed exceptional skill in playing his instrument. He even opened a teaching class. By the way, musicians who mastered the skill of playing the instrument were called ondists.

Music of Martenot waves in modern sound can be heard from American singer and composer Tom Waits, French multi-instrumentalist Yann Tiersen and electronic duo Duft Punk. A special love for the waves of Martenot was demonstrated by Radiohead. The musicians at one of the live concerts used six instruments at the same time.