Maurice Martenot facts for kids
Maurice Louis Eugène Martenot (born October 14, 1898, died October 8, 1980) was a talented French musician and inventor. He played the cello and even worked as a radio telegrapher during World War I. He is most famous for inventing a unique electronic musical instrument called the ondes Martenot.
Who Was Maurice Martenot?
Maurice Martenot was born in Paris, France. He was a very creative person who loved both music and technology. After serving as a telegrapher, he combined his interests to create something new in the world of music.
Inventing the Ondes Martenot
Maurice Martenot first created his special instrument, the ondes Martenot, in 1928. He spent many years making it better and better. In 1938, he even made a version that could play microtonal music, which uses notes "between" the regular notes on a piano. The ondes Martenot is known for its unique, otherworldly sound.
Teaching and Performing
Maurice Martenot also taught the first people to play the ondes Martenot. His students included famous musicians like Karel Goeyvaerts, Jeanne Loriod, and his own sister, Ginette Martenot.
He himself was a skilled player, sometimes called an 'ondist'. In 1930, he performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the famous conductor Leopold Stokowski. In 1937, he won a big award, "Le Grand Prix de l'Exposition Mondiale," at the World's Fair in Paris. During the 1940s, he taught lessons at the Paris Conservatoire, a famous music school.
His Legacy
Maurice Martenot's life and invention have been celebrated in different ways. A book about him, written in French, was created by an ondist named Jean Laurendeau. His amazing invention, the ondes Martenot, is also the main topic of a 2013 documentary from Quebec called Wavemakers. Jean Laurendeau appears in this film too.
