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 play sounds. Marteno waves belong to one of the earliest. We will learn about the history of creation, device and sound features of this instrument in this article.
Opening
As World War I was drawing to a close, French radio operator Maurice Marteno discovered the possibility of creating music using a military radio station. As a result of long experiments, he was able to get the clear sound that the equipment lamps produced. 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 configuring old receivers and is familiar to almost everyone today.
It should be noted that Maurice Marteno was not an inventor. But from childhood he was fond of music, learned to play the piano and cello, played the violin professionally and, in collaboration with his older sister Madeleine, developed a method of teaching musical art. Later they together opened a special school for children. And in 1933, Maurice was awarded the gold medal. Louis Lepin for the invention of educational music games. His younger sister, Ginette, was one of the first successful performers on the Marteno wave instrument.
Parallel story
The main theme of Maurice's work was musical electricity. This hobby began in 1919 upon his return from military service. Experiments and studies dragged on for nine years. The result was Ondes Martenot (translated from French means "Marten Electric Waves"). The instrument was officially presented to the public at the Paris exhibition in 1928.
He was one of the first in electric music and was vaguely reminiscent of 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, research and development by their pioneers of electric music took place in parallel. According to official figures, Marteno and Theremin were not acquainted until 1930. Then their inventions were already patented. However, there are sources claiming that they met for the first time in 1923. That is what prompted the French musician to create his own power tool.
Device
The classic Marteno 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 that was assembled on transistors and controlled by pressing keys. Then, through the amplifier, the sound was transmitted to the loudspeaker system.
The performer had the opportunity to control the amplitude and wavelength of the signal. On the left side of the instrument were a wooden button that called up his voice, and special mode switches that regulate 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. By approaching or moving the hand away from the instrument, it was possible to change the tonality with various dynamics: from the vibrato effect (sound take-off) to glissandro (gliding sounds).
Evolution
Since the invention, Marteno waves have undergone a number of changes. The first model of the instrument became original and resonant in the world of music. However, its design had some drawbacks. Playing the instrument was quite difficult, and the highest level of skill was required from the performer.
In the final version, developed by Maurice Marteno, the thread with the ring was pulled in front of the keys, and finger recesses were placed under it. They were marked in black and white, in accordance with musical chromatism. Photos of Marteno waves, preserved to date, demonstrate innovation. To create vibrating effects, the keys began to move from side to side. Now the musician could imitate a formidable roar or a buzzing mosquito.
Special attention should be paid to the amplifier kit. It included three elements: Principal (regular loudspeaker), Palme (resonant diffuser with 12 strings) and Metallique (loudspeaker with metal timbre).
In the 70s, the instrument of the French musician-inventor was modernized based on semiconductor elements, and in the 90s it became digital. Now, when you press the keys, a special Marteno wave controller converts them into digital commands and transfers them to external devices (for example, a computer). Modern electronic guitars and drum kits work on the same principle.
From the very beginning, Maurice Marteno had no goal of putting the tool into mass production. He understood that a manual approach was needed in his creation. Therefore, after the death of the musician, the release stopped. Today, there are about 50 specimens of waves, several of which were preserved by the son of Marteno.
Sound
During a presentation at an exhibition in Paris in 1928, Marteno waves were called the “singing” instrument. Its modern version sounds almost the same as the classic one. The artist can create music that resembles a whistle, soft howling and even growling bass. The modern electro-acoustic sound is in many respects reminiscent of the music of DJ Skrilex with a thin meow of strings and a sharp inflating of the speakers. The music, performed on the classical Marteno waves, is associated more with opera singing. At the same time, it contains something mysterious, even mystical.
Music
Since its inception, Marteno waves have caused a lot of curiosity on the part of composers. In 1946, Olivier Messian wrote the symphony “Turangalil”. In it, the waves were assigned a secondary part of the performance.
The fantastic sound of the waves can be heard in the soundtracks for the futuristic films Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Mad Max (1979).
Maurice Marteno himself possessed exceptional mastery of his instrument. He even opened a training class. By the way, musicians who mastered the skill of playing the instrument were called ondists.
The music of the Marteno waves in a modern sound can be heard from the American singer and composer Tom Waits, the French multi-instrumentalist Jann Thiersen and the electronic duet Duft Punk. A special love for the Marteno waves was demonstrated by Radiohead. Musicians used six instruments at one live concert.