This video captures an introduction to the Ondes Martenot by synthesist David Gerard Matthews from ContinuuCon 2024.
The Ondes Martenot is an electronic instrument, introduced by French inventor Maurice Martenot in 1928. It has limited sound controls, but has expressive peformance capabilities that go far beyond what most synthesizer can do, even today.
It has a keyboard, so it’s capable of being played quickly, with completely accurate pitch control. It also offers continuous control over volume, rather than a fixed envelope. And it also features a ring controller that gives you continuous control over pitch, if you want to play with vibrato, pitch bends or wide glissandos.
Nice to see this here! I’ve been obsessed with the Martenot for quite a few years, and got a Therevox ET-5 this year. I love the ring for controlling pitch, but I’m still practicing since the ET-5 actually has two separate voices so you can do some pretty wild stuff with it especially patched into my eurorack.
Thanks David Gerard Matthews for a super introduction and historical review of this very important instrument! I appreciate you work.
And thank you Lippold Haken for bringing Mr. Matthews to ContinuuCon. By now, many of the most recent Continuucon participants have–thanks to LIppold’s incredible generosity, a copy of my book/CDs “Electronic Perspectives: Vintage Electronic Musical Instruments.”
There are some 6 pages in that publication that were cleaned up and restored by Joe Bastardo–my ace graphics artist, from the original 1928 introductory publication for the “ondes Musicales,” later known as the ondes Martenot. I hope to reproduce that complete booklet, as well as the 1937 “Programme” that relates to the use of the ondes Martenot at the Paris Exposition of 1937. Frankly this will depend on my ability to recoup the considerable sum spent to produce EP:VEMI. The web site for that is electronicperspectives.com and a number of interesting artifacts can be viewed/heard and downloaded re not only Maurice Martenot’s instruments, but many others as well at drtomrhea.com and/or Youtube Channel electronic perspectives, including my talk re a history of electronic musical instruments at the inaugural ContinuuCon in Ashevlle, NC.
One minor note: Lev Termen’s (Theremin) instrument precedes Martenot by approximately a decade, just to keep the historical record straight.
Best, and thanks again! Tom Rhea.