While we were on this topic of Dark Shadows music, I was very curious to see what types of instruments Cobert used for the theme. They are not your typical run of the mill choices in orchestration to be sure. I finally came upon it when I picked up my Dark Shadows Almanac. (Naturally, the last place I looked.) Cobert uses an alto flute, double bass, vibes, harp and a theremin. He doubles the alto flute with the theremin in the theme line to give it a particular eeriness. Like what instrument is that creepy thing? Well it's two things. Now what is a theremin you may ask.
Here are some facts about the theremin. The theremin is the first electronic instrument invented in 1918 by Leon Termin, a Russian physicist and cellist, while he was experimenting on creating sounds using electrical current. The instrument has no keys (in other words, you don't touch it), is monophonic (plays one note), and pitch is made by waving one's hand in the space of the antenna. The volume is attained by using the other hand over the other antenna. Don't move or you'll miss the pitch!
Sounds like "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and you'd be right. The theremin was widely used in old sci-fi/horror movies of the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s as well as many TV show themes, "Star Trek" (it's the thing that sounds like a wailing woman), "My Favorite Martian", "Lost in Space" and many others including Dark Shadows. It was also used by "serious" film composers such as Bernard Herrmann, Miklƒ³s Rƒ³zsa in Spellbound and many others. It's still in use today.
It also made the concert hall by composers Ives, Varese, Cage, Grainger, Schillenger, etc. and the rock music of Led Zeppelin, Bee Gees, Beach Boys (they used the Mogg electronic one in Good Vibration, naturally), Flaming Lips, etc.
Termin did live in NY for a time and managed to get a patent on his instrument. RCA was granted manufacturing rights to RCA in 1929. Later, Robert Mogg manufactured the electro-theremin. (Yes, the same guy of the Mogg synthetizer. He found the blueprints while in high school and built his own.)
Unfortunately, he was stolen from his New York apartment in 1938 by the NKVD (precursor of the KGB) and was sent to Siberia to a forced labor camp, then a camp of scientists. Termin invented one of the first Color TVs and the "Buran" aka bug or small listing devices listening in at the U.S. Embassy. Yes, that bug, bugging the telephones at Collinwood was his..... LOL!
Thus, another first by Cobert, the use of the theremin in a daytime soap. I also note the use of it occurred long before the appearance of any supernatural themes in the show.
The Almanac also states that the biggest orchestra Cobert used gets up to 35 folks. Huge for TV. Unfortunately, most of the recordings from the original show were in monaural, so we audiophiles wail and moan our fate...
The other thing I note is that Robert Cobert has avoided the Dark Shadows internet radar and not much is said about him, like where did he get his music training, who were his musical influences, does he teach theory and composition, what instrument does he play? These and burning questions remain unanswered. He does not pop up in the Grove either. However, Grove is still playing catch up on the 20th Century so not surprised there.
Any thought from you librarians on this subject?
Sources for this post: The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, The Dark Shadows Almanac,
ThereminVox and
ThereminInfo [/size][/color][/FONT]
