RCATheremin.com
1938 Rosen January Theremin
Who Commissioned This Instrument?
Lucie and Walter Rosen
Who Owned This Instrument?
Lucie Rosen
Where is This Instrument Now?
The location of this theremin is unknown, but should be in the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. In Lucie's Theremin Notebook
, on a page relating to the January Theremin, there is a note in Lucie's handwriting that says obsolete gone
.
What Do We Know About This Instrument?
Five octave range with slightly higher upper register (implication being that more of the extended range was at the low end), tone color switch (not reported but a given, in that Lev had already added this to her RCA theremin, giving it two tone settings. The January Theremin probably had more tone switch positions).
Why is it Special?
This theremin would have been state of the art at the time it was made, and very comparable to the 1938 Rockmore Theremin. The January Theremin may also be the first theremin with a pitch indicator (in this case, a neon lamp).
Image courtesy of Caramoor Center of Music and the Arts
A preliminary drawing for the design of the January Theremin found in the archives of Lucie Rosen at Caramoor.
Tube Complement:
- Instrument chassis: 27 (3), 24A (1), 57 (1), 56 (2), 2A5 (1)
- Power supply/amplifier chassis: 5Z3 (1), 874 (2), 59 (2)
- Total tube count: 13 (11 + 2 VR tubes)
- Audio output power: push-pull 59 pair
Schematic
Not available
Photos
Photos courtesy of Caramoor Center of Music and the Arts