Spooky and ethereal, theremins aren’t entirely condemned to soundtracking giant insect B-movies and other black-and-white science fiction flicks. When Hungarian violinist Katica Illényi transferred her perfect pitch and musical precision to this hauntingly obscure instrument, she put the hidden beauty of the theremin on full display, serenading over 16 million YouTube viewers to date.
Katica’s viral performance is destined to stun any viewer raised to think that the theremin is nothing more than an old-school gimmick. Played by the right hands, its sound is as moving as an opera singer or a lone violin melody waltzing through the night. Music Man readers can check out Katica’s mind-blowing performance in the clip below and prepare to fall in love with her unimaginable craft!
Performed alongside the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, Katica lets the orchestra’s music swell before crowning its soothing harmony with her ghostly theremin tones. Hearing Katica’s rendition is astounding in itself. But to consider Katica’s talent makes things even more mind-boggling.
Whilst sounding comparable to a violin, theremins have no fixed frets, nor even a neck for Katica to suss out where each musical pitch may fall. Instead, Katica plays music on thin air (technically, on electromagnetic waves) – a near impossible feat, yet this powerhouse player remains absolutely pitch perfect through every glassy, soul-stirring note.
Never heard of the piece of music Katica’s playing before? The piece, titled “Once Upon A Time In The West,” soundtracks Sergio Leone’s 1968 Western film of the same title, with its original melody sung in a series of operatic “ooh’s,” “aah’s” and “mmm’s.” Curious listeners can check out the original soundtrack version, composed by Ennio Morricone, in the video above!
Katica is hardly the first pro violinist to fall in love with the theremin’s true potential. Vintage theremin pioneer Clara Rockmore first built her career as a “violin prodigy,” before meeting Russian inventor and physicist Leon Theremin himself, and becoming the world’s first famous thereminist (barring Leon, its creator). Clips of Clara reinventing classical pieces such as Chopin’s posthumous “Nocturne in C# Minor” and Camille Saint-Saëns’ “The Swan” are circling YouTube as you read this article, with Clara’s most famous rendition topping 3.3 million views to date!
There’s an evident link between the perfect pitch required to master the violin, and the perfect precision needed to master the theremin. Yet, sadly these virtuosos don’t come around often enough. We’re just thankful Katica is around to keep this instrument’s hidden wonders alive for a whole new generation!
Katica Illényi has not only redefined the artistic capabilities of the theremin but has also mesmerized millions with her spellbinding performance. Her collaboration with the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra showcases a masterful blend of classical and avant-garde music, proving the theremin’s timeless allure. To delve deeper into this enchanting world and experience more of Katica’s extraordinary talent, we invite you to explore the links below.