The March 2020 episode of the Theremin 30 podcast features music from the Netherlands and the USA. Rick Reid's interview guest is Robert Sherman, Clara Rockmore's nephew and co-founder of the Nadia Reisenberg / Clara Rockmore Foundation.
FEATURED MUSIC*
"Concerto For 2 Violins In D Minor, BWV 1043 - 2nd Movement" - Clara Rockmore and Nadia Reisenberg, with Erick Friedman (New York, NY, USA)
*The full-length recordings featured in this show were used with the knowledge and permission of the artists and composers. Please support the artists by visiting their websites, purchasing their recordings, and attending their performances.
ADDITIONAL MUSIC
"Opera Glasses" - Phlogiston Theory and Ron Allen (Denver, CO and Seattle, WA, USA)
"Time Shadows" - Phlogiston Theory (Denver, CO, USA)
INTERVIEW
Robert Sherman, co-founder of the Nadia Reisenberg / Clara Rockmore Foundation.
CALENDAR OF THEREMIN EVENTS
Visit the Theremin 30 Calendar of Theremin Events for links and details of events mentioned in this episode.
ON YOUTUBE
Theremin 30 Playlist
CONTACT
- Write to the show: theremin30podcast@gmail.com.
- Record a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theremin30/message
- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theremin30/support
CREDITS
- Producer/Writer/Host: Rick Reid
- Opening and closing announcer: David Brower
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TRANSCRIPT
This transcript was generated with speech-to-text AI. It may contain several errors until it can be manually edited.
David Brower 0:03
This is their man 30.Thirty minutes of theremin music, news events and interviews with a new episode about every 30 days. Now, here's your host from Denver, Colorado, USA, Rick Reid.
Rick Reid 0:18
Hey there, welcome to the 12th episode of the Theremin 30. Podcast, possibly the only show in the podosphere dedicated to music from the ethersphere. This month I put together an episode dedicated to Clara Rockmore because she was born on March 9 1911. I've got some beautiful music from tour wall Jorgensen and Rob Schwimmer and my very special interview guest is Claire as nephew Robert Sherman, co founder of the Nadia Ryzen Berg Clara Rockmore foundation. He's got some great news to share with us to start things up here Rachmaninoff's vocalese a composition that has become a standard for classical therapists and was the lead track of Clara's the art of Theremin album. This is a live recording performed by tour wild Jorgensen on Theramin and Camila B Strava. on piano
That was tour Raul Jorgensen with a live recording of vocalese. He has a couple of concert dates coming up. So let's get right to this month's Theramin 30 calendar of their amid events on Clara Rockmore his birthday Monday March 9, Victoria Lundy will perform at the freak boutique here in Denver, Colorado, USA. science educator Dr. g takes a tour through Nova Scotia Canada Public Library's March 16 through the 19th tour while the Oregon Sun has performances set for Stuttgart, Germany on March 13, and Paja REITs Montenegro on March 20, Rob swimmers trio their manure will play the big ears festival in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 28 And Peter Theramin will conduct a four day masterclass in Paris beginning March 30. For links to more information on these shows and more visit Calendar dot Theremin thirty.com. And keep in mind that some public gatherings around the world are being postponed or canceled to help contain the COVID-19 virus outbreak. So be sure to double check times and dates before you travel to a show. And speaking of Rob Schwimmer hears music from Rob from his beyond the sky album. Rob plays both Theremin and piano on this track called waltz for Clara
That was waltz for Clara by Rob Schwimmer. He'll be performing at the Gilmore festival in Michigan this coming May. After the break my special guest Robert Sherman has some big news for Clara Rockmore fans, so stay tuned.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Robert Sherman. He's the son of pianist Nadia Rosenberg, and the nephew of Clara Rockmore. He's also a classical music radio personality, and co founder of the Nadia Rosenberg Clara Rockmore foundation. I'm very happy to have Mr. Sherman as this month special interview guest Robert Sherman, thank you so much for being on the Theremin 30 podcast. I've been really excited to talk with you ever since we connected by email a few months ago.
Robert Sherman 12:48
Well, I'm delighted to be here and always pleased when folks are interested in not only the pharaohs, but my Aunt Clara.
Rick Reid 12:57
What can you tell me first of all about your foundation that involves both your Aunt Clara and your mother, Nadia Eisenberg,
Robert Sherman 13:04
I decided along with my brother, that it wasn't enough just to have the memories exist, of what they accomplished. I felt there had to be more that would be lasting. I felt that they should be materials that are available indefinitely for people who were interested in their art history. And so we started the foundation to do exactly that. We've done various things. We have a concert series where I live in Ossining that's devoted to my mom, who's from Nigeria Eisenberg, recital series, and it features young adults of course, and we have given a scholarship that was administered by the Manus College of Music and I have seen the transfer of LPs and other materials, the CD. So there are now probably 15 to 20 CD collections of mother's hand, Clara's performances available, you can find it all of this by the way, the information if you go to our website, which is not your Eisenberg, Clara Rockmore Foundation, and the easy way to get there, Nadia, Dash clora.org If you go there, you'll find bios of both artists, the list of their recordings, which now I have to update because there's a new album, just about out and you'll also find a list of my other students, and much more.
Rick Reid 14:36
You mentioned the album so there's the art of the Theramin which was the first one which was produced with Robert MOBE. And then there's the last terramin album.
Robert Sherman 14:45
Yes, that was Clara's crazy, always wistfully referred to her last album. Why? Because both recorded those pieces that were on the Delos record, and I think they're 10 or 12 Whatever there are, but there were another 10 or 12. That delis didn't really. So they were just sitting there. Hey, Claire always said refer to that last album. So what are the things I really wanted to do that the foundation was started up is I remash those performances and release them as her last album, which was now found.
Rick Reid 15:25
And then the third album is live recording from a radio show that you hosted.
Robert Sherman 15:30
Yes, the listening room in 1970. And every year, we had anniversary programs. Normally, I had mother come and then another artists with whom she was friendly or performed with and I asked Clara if she would come. And it's a big deal for Clara because she has to move the Theramin and reset it up and reconnect it. And so it's not like a violin, you pack up your case and you walk out the door. So it was a big deal to move all those things to be packed up in special cases and so on. But she did come to QX R and played and did a number of things. Chris is one of the things he always wanted to do was they printed out his President errors, and number five Aria, and it designed for eight cellos. So I invited a cellist because he finally got to play them. One of the things he fussed with was the idea of her playing both violin parts in the playable would have been possible concerto. Well, she couldn't play two movements in their QX R Hall. So we invited Eric Friedman to play one of the parts with Clara. And of course, mother, the orchestra. So that's odd. That's in the air album.
Rick Reid 16:51
So tell me now about this fourth album, I hadn't heard about this.
Robert Sherman 16:55
It is a two CD album of what we called music and memories. There are performances that have never been released before, including the frog violin sonata that Clara and mother played at that town hall recital thinking 38, I think it was, and sometime in the 60s, they played through it at home, didn't fix it. They didn't edit it, they didn't do it. They just played it, see how it would go I guess, had we have that recording. And then I went to various interview and radio programs. So there's a wonderful interview that he did long ago with John Corigliano, the Oscar and Emmy winning composer. He was then music director of radio station WPI in New York, and he interview car. He even at one point, by the way, went to her house. And she demonstrated the instrument for her. It's absolutely fascinating to hear how she literally describes how you play it, how it works. There's also a wonderful Kayla car program was my very favorite. So they did. I decided to have Valentine to build up. And so I asked Clora, who was of course born there, as was my mother. And Alexander Snyder, the violinist, who was also from builder to come and share memories because Schneider and my mom played for the silent movies in Milda. Together, they were in this little orchestra. And finally, I did a short interview with Clara, and Fairman himself. When he came to New York, very few people have heard his voice are great. And he was laying the something or other at the time, so it's a little shaky. But nonetheless, we have that document as well. So all of this really completes pretty much the available materials we have of Clara a lot of home recordings, a couple of experiments she did with double tracks. There's all kinds of fascinating materials here, none of it available before, pretty much giving you everything that we have of Clara with this new album,
Rick Reid 19:06
I'm really excited to hear it. That's a very pleasant surprise to know that that's coming out soon.
Robert Sherman 19:10
And on top of everything else as a description and with historical details, and all sorts of interesting photographs, something by by sudden of Clara and Theremin and so on. So they will be available for anybody to stream on Spotify and YouTube and whatever. But the album itself, two CD set will be available only through the foundation.
Rick Reid 19:38
Sounds like this has been a labor of love for you and your family to carry on the music of your mother and aunt.
Robert Sherman 19:46
Exactly. I mean, that was the whole idea behind the foundation and it has guided me all the way through. Because yes, I want materials to be known I want them performances to be heard. And at least to have them available so scholars and future years can listen and can get an idea of their artists and what they were able to accomplish. If I can close with a commercial, go to Nadia debt clara.org And you'll find all sorts of other information about Clara and you're right.
Rick Reid 20:37
Now, let's wrap up this episode with a portion of Bach's Concerto for two violins and D minor, featuring Eric Friedman on violin, Nadia Ryzen Berg on piano and Clara Rockmore on Theramin. This is from the album Music in and on the air and was recorded in 1979 as part of a live radio broadcast
And that wraps up not only this episode, but the first year of the theorem in 30 podcast. My thanks to tollroad Jorgensen and Rob Schwimmer for sharing their music and to Robert Sherman of the Nadia Rosenberg, Clara Rockmore foundation. Coming up in the April episode of the theorem and 30 podcast, I'll have new music from Dr. G. Until then, I'm your host, Rick Reid. Thank you for tuning in.
David Brower 29:51
You've been listening to the Theramin 30 podcast visit Theramin 30 on the web at Theramin three zero.com
Copyright 2020 Rick Reid
