Spooky sounds and ghostly wailings are usually what come to mind when people imagine the sound of the theremin. With “Air Électrique”, Thorwald Jorgensen and Kamilla Bystrova go beyond the novelty of the theremin and let the music speak for itself.
With the premier recording of Lera Auerbach’s 10 Preludes for theremin and piano, the standard of the album is set. This compositional tour-de-force presents colourful melodic music which exploits the unique characteristics of both the theremin and the piano. The angular modernism of Lydia Kavina’s Suite for theremin and piano and Olesya Rostovskaya’s haunting Juliet show more of the theremin’s unrivalled sonic possibilities, clearly illustrating what is possible with this combination of instruments.
The album also presents two chamber music pieces. The first is the world premiere of Joseph Schillinger’s Bury, Bury me Wind, in which Thorwald and Kamilla are joined by mezzo soprano, Itzel Medecigo. The other is the spectacular Fantasy for theremin, xylophone and piano by Valery Beluntsov, in which Thorwald plays not only the theremin but also the virtuosic xylophone part. © Zefir Records