Beethoven’s Ode to Joy Played With 167 Theremins Placed Inside Matryoshka Dolls in Japan

Props go to Mental Floss for coming up with this unexpected find. Back in 2011, in Tokyo, 167 musicians performed some classic Beethoven with the “Matryomin,” a new-fangled instrument that lodges a theremin inside a matryoshka. A matryoshka, of course, is one of those Russian nested dolls where you find wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other. As for the theremin, it’s a century-old electronic musical instrument that requires no physical contact from the player. You can watch its inventor, Leon Theremin, give it a demo in the vintage video below. And via these links you can see the Matryomin Ensemble performing versions of Amazing Grace and Memory of Russia.

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