RCA Theremin

The theremin represents the beginning of electronic instruments. Named after its inventor, Russian ex-pat Leon Theremin, the instrument is unique in that it is controlled without contact from the player. Before returning to Russia, Theramin sold the rights to his instrument to RCA who began producing them commercially.

When Leon Theramin abruptly left the country in 1938, speculation ran wild about a possible KGB kidnapping, though Theramin himself said he left over concerns about the coming war. Theramin did, however, work for the KGB creating spy technology and is credited with inventing “The Bug.”

In the 1920s RCA produced approximately 500 Theremins.  Today, only about half of these exist, making Cantos’ Theremin very rare. 

Pop Culture Reference
The theremin has an eerie sound, which has led to its use in movie soundtracks such as those in Spellbound, The Lost Weekend, and The Day the Earth Stood Still . Theremins are also used in art music (especially avant-garde and 20th- and 21st-century new music) and in popular music genres. In the ’60s and ’70s, bands like Led Zeppelin brought the Theremin to the public ear in hits like A Whole Lotta Love.