Maurice Martenot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maurice Martenot (October 14, 1898 – October 8, 1980) was a French cellist, a radio telegrapher during the first World War, and an inventor.

Born in Paris, he is best known for his invention of the Ondes Martenot, an instrument he first realized in 1928 and spent decades improving. He unveiled a microtonal model in 1938.

Martenot himself performed as an 'ondist' with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski in 1930. The 1937 World's Fair in Paris awarded him "Le Grand Prix de l'Exposition Mondiale". He taught lessons at the Paris Conservatoire during the 1940s.

A Martenot biography, in French, has been written by ondist Jean Laurendeau.

[edit] Sources

• Author and Book Info.com
• Sadie, S. (ed.) (1980) The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians, [vol. # 11].

[edit] External links

• 120 Years of Electronic Music.
• The Theremin And The Ondes Martenot.
• SOS article, Feb. 2002.
• Preoccupations, Oct. 2006.