Carlos Salzedo: a Harp Virtuoso's Connection to the Theremin and Early Electronic Music

A fascinating photograph recently shared by composer and thereminist Aleks Schuermer provides the perfect starting point for exploring the lesser-known connection between harp virtuoso Carlos Salzedo and the theremin. The photo, dated 1928, features Salzedo seated at the piano next to a harp, with the inscription "To Walter E. Koons, a propos of Theremin [signed] Carlos Salzedo, 1928". Koons was an NBC Music consultant at the time.

Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961), a French-born harpist, composer, and teacher, was a prominent figure in the music world. Along with Edgard Varese, he founded the International Composers' Guild in New York. Salzedo's contributions to harp music and technique are immense, as demonstrated by the "Salzedo Technique" and the "Salzedo Harp" named after him. But his significance extends beyond the harp world; Salzedo played a pivotal role in the promotion and development of the theremin and early electronic music.

Salzedo's interest in the theremin dates back to at least February 18, 1928, when he attended a performance by the instrument's inventor, Leon Theremin, in New York. This performance was also attended by Edgard Varese and Mr. and Mrs. E Robert Schmitz. Clearly intrigued by the theremin, Salzedo soon found himself involved in various projects related to the instrument.

On April 1, 1932, he accompanied Clara Rockmore (née Reisenberg) on the harp as she demonstrated Leon Theremin’s new dance-controlled theremin, the Terpsitone, by performing Bach-Gounod's "Ave Maria". This collaboration marked the beginning of Salzedo's journey with the theremin, as he continued to engage with the instrument in the years to come.

In April 1934, the Pan-American Association of Composers organised a concert at the Town Hall in New York, featuring music for various instruments, including the theremin. Salzedo was in attendance alongside other prominent composers such as Charles Ives, Edgard Varese, Adolph Weiss, and Colin McPhee. The program included the premiere of Varese's "Ecuatorial", which featured two theremin cellos, as well as Salzedo's own concerto for harp and wind instruments. The event, conducted by Nicolas Slonimsky, further solidified Salzedo's connection to the world of electronic music.

By the 1940s, Salzedo's involvement with the theremin deepened as he worked with Lucie Bigelow Rosen, a prominent thereminist whose husband had provided key financial support for Leon Theremin’s laboratory work in New York. In March 1944, Salzedo accompanied Rosen in a recital at the Town Hall that included the world premiere of John Haussermann's Serenade for Theremin and Piano. In November 1945, they premiered Isidor Achron's Improvisation and Bohuslav Martinu's Phantasy for Theremin, Oboe, Piano, and String Quartet, with Salzedo playing the piano as part of an ensemble that featured the Koutzen Quartet and Robert Bloom on oboe.

Salzedo’s Piece Concertante, arranged by the composer for Theremin (1946), held in Lucie Bigelow Rosen’s archives at Caramoor.

In 1946, Salzedo further demonstrated his commitment to the theremin by rearranging his Piece Concertante for Trombone for Theremin and dedicating it to Lucie Bigelow Rosen. A copy of this arrangement is preserved in Rosen's archive.

Throughout this period, Salzedo remained active as a harpist, piano accompanist, composer, arranger, and conductor in New York. His collaboration with Rosen received mixed reviews; while the Music Reporter in 1947 criticised the "intemperate character of the sounds Miss Rosen produced from the theremin," a 1948 review in the Musical Courier praised her mastery of the instrument and Salzedo's able accompaniment on the piano.

Salzedo's involvement with the theremin and early electronic music serves as a testament to his openness to innovation and exploration of new musical frontiers. Although primarily known for his contributions to harp music, Salzedo's connection to the theremin and Lucie Bigelow Rosen played a crucial role in the promotion and development of early electronic music.