Theremin Music in Sci-Fi Film Scores
This essay will explore the creation of the unique electronic music instrument, the
theremin, and its prominent role in mid 20th-century sci-fi film soundtracks.
Theremin was one of the first successful electronic instruments, created in 1920 and
named after its inventor, Leo Theremin. The instrument's creation was almost
accidental; while working on proximity sensors for a state-funded project in the former
Soviet Union, Theremin developed a complex device that later became the instrument
we now know as the theremin. [2] As a cellist and physicist, Theremin was interested in
designing an electronic instrument that could be played solo and would adhere to "the
traditional model of an instrument with a stable timbre.” [1] His goal was to produce a
sound that was purely electronic.
The theremin is made of a wooden box and two antennas: one vertical and the other
shaped like a "P," positioned on the left side. It is likely one of the only instruments that
can be played without physical contact: an electromagnetic field is generated between
the two antennas. The movement of the right hand near the vertical antenna controls
the oscillators for frequency, while the movement of the left hand near the loop-shaped
antenna adjusts the amplitude-loudness of the sound. [3]
The first theremin performances were given by its inventor, Leo Theremin. Before long,
two virtuosos, Clara Rockmore and Lucie Bigelow Rosen, rose to prominence. Their
repertoire largely consisted of traditional classical pieces, rearranged from vocal or
string compositions. These included symphonic works as well as smaller-scale pieces,
such as The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns. [4]
Although the popularity of classical piece adaptations for the theremin never waned,
new opportunities emerged with its first use in a film score Odna (1931), composed by
Dmitri Shostakovich, where the theremin was employed more as a sound effect. It took
several years for other filmmakers to take notice of this unusual and eerie-sounding
instrument. Later, it gained significant attention in Miklós Rózsa's score for Alfred
Hitchcock’s film Spellbound (1945), where it achieved great success. [5]
With the rising popularity of science fiction films in the mid-20th century, the theremin
found a niche role in creating eerie and otherworldly soundscapes. Its first use in a sci-fi
film was in 1950’s Rocketship X-M, where it underscored the harrowing experience of
humans encountering the inhabitants of Mars. This film "laid the musical foundations of
space and alien sound for the films that followed" [6].
The following year saw the release of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), scored by
Bernard Herrmann. The soundtrack featured an unusual combination of instruments,
including two Hammond organs, a large studio electric organ, three vibraphones, two
glockenspiels, and two pianos, among others. The theremin played a significant role,
appearing as a solo instrument in the main theme and contributing to the sound design
in other tracks. [7]
The following scores in the playlist follow a similar compositional path. The sound of the
theremin evokes the mysterious and otherworldly, often symbolizing unexplainable
experiences—such as encounters with other species, as depicted in The Thing from
Another World or Phantom from Space.
What makes this instrument so perfectly suited to the soundscapes of the sci-fi genre is
its ability to mimic a high-pitched human voice or a bowed instrument through electronic
means, producing an inherently unnatural sound. Two distinctive musical techniques
that are always present in theremin performance are legato ¹ and portamento ². These
techniques not only add emotional depth but also enhance the sense of strangeness
and mystery that defines the world of science fiction. [8]
I decided to conclude the playlist with a track from the sci-fi cult classic Forbidden
Planet (1956). The interesting aspect here is that the film does not feature a theremin,
but rather a very similarly sounding electronic instrument. In the 1960s, innovations in
electronic music and the search for new ways to replicate existing instruments led
composers to develop new tools. Louis and Bebe Barron were commissioned to create
a completely electronic score for Forbidden Planet [9]. They built custom electronic
circuitry specifically for the film, producing sounds similar to the theremin. Many other
films followed a similar approach, such as Journey to the Seventh Planet and Robinson
Crusoe on Mars.
¹ legato- musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected
² portamento- a pitch sliding from one note to another
References/Webography
[1] [8] http://www.jaimeoliver.pe/pdf/theremin-draft2.pdf
[2]
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/theremin-100-years-anniversary-instrume
nt-music-history-180976437/
[3]
https://blog.minicircuits.com/capacitance-heterodyning-and-the-strange-music-of-the-the
remin/
[4] https://www.thomholmes.com/post/the-theremin-part-1-from-the-beginning-to-1970
[5]
https://www.thetonearm.com/the-instrument-that-wouldnt-die-the-story-of-early-cinema-f
ilm-scores-and-the-theremin/
[6] https://enhancedmedia.medium.com/history-of-theremin-in-films-967e6ba21cfa
[7] "Oscar Roundtable: The composers". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from
the original on December 29, 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
[9]
https://www.effectrode.com/knowledge-base/the-self-destructing-modules-behind-revolu
tionary-1956-soundtrack-of-forbidden-planet/
[10]
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/314/Thing-From-Another-World-
Take-the-High-Ground!-The/
Playlist
1. Film: Rocketship X-M
Year: 1950
Music by: Ferde Frofe
Label: Starog Records
Released: 1977
Track: Theremin Solo
The Rocketship X-M was the first sci-fi movie to feature theremin, which later
became a staple for the genre.
2. Film: Rocketship X-M
Year: 1950
Music by: Ferde Frofe
Label: Starog Records
Released: 1977
Track: Approaching Mars
The Rocketship X-M was the first sci-fi movie to feature theremin, which later
became a staple for the genre.
3. Film: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Year: 1951
Music by: Bernard Herrmann
Label: Varese Sarabande Records
Released: 2003
Track: Prelude And Outer Space
The Day the Earth Stood Still featured one of the most influential scores of sci-fi.
4. Film: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Year: 1951
Music by: Bernard Herrman
Label: Varese Sarabande Records
Released: 2003
Track: Klaatu
The Day the Earth Stood Still featured one of the most influential scores of sci-fi.
5. The Thing from the Other World
Year: 1951
Music by: Dimitri Tiomkin
Label: Golden Age
Released: 2005
Track: Flying Saucer Sequence, Part 1
‘Master tapes to The Thing From Another World are long lost, but the complete
score survived on monaural acetate transfer disks in Tiomkin's personal
collection, and that source has been used for this premiere CD.’ [10]
6. Film: It Came from Outer Space
Year: 1953
Music by: Herman Stein, Irving Gertz and Henry Mancini
Label: Smith& Co
Released: 2012
Track: Main Title Theme
The Main Theme of the soundtrack features a full orchestral arrangement with a
theremin taking a few solo moments.
7. Film: Phantom From Space
Year: 1953
Music by: William Lava
Track: Main Theme
In this theme the theremin creates tension, resembling a high- pitched voice,
enhanced by vibrato.
8. Film: Project Moon Base
Year: 1953
Music by: Herschel Burke Gilbert
Label: Monstrous Movie Music
Released:
Track: Moon Landing
The theremin is used subtly, blending with high-pitched string instruments in a
descending line that mimics the motion of a spaceship landing.
9. Film: Project Moon Base
Year: 1953
Music by: Herschel Burke Gilbert
Label: Monstrous Movie Music
Released:
Track: Main Title
In the Main Title, the theremin plays a solo part, accompanied by other
orchestral instruments, often in unison.
10. Film: Forbidden Planet
Year: 1956
Music by: Louis and Bebe Barron
Label: Poppydisc
Released: 2011
Track: Ancient Krell Music
The soundtrack was created entirely from electronic sounds, using DIY electronic
circuits and tape manipulations.
