Croix Sonore
Illustration — A modern replica of the Croix Sonore (2007) The Croix Sonore is an early electronic musical instrument with continuous pitch, similar to the theremin. Like the theremin, the pitch of the tone is dependent on the nearness of the player's arm to an antenna; unlike the theremin, the antenna was in the shape of a cross, and the electronics were inside a brass ball to which the cross was affixed. It was developed by Russian born composer Nikolai Obukhov who lived and worked in France from 1918, and built by Michel Billaudot and Pierre Dauvillier in Paris; they developed a prototype version in 1926 and demonstrated an improved version in 1934.
Croix Sonore

Jon Bernhardt · The Croix Sonore Uploaded by Flominator · CC BY-SA 2.0
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- electronic musical instrument
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Illustration — A modern replica of the Croix Sonore (2007) The Croix Sonore is an early electronic musical instrument with continuous pitch, similar to the theremin. Like the theremin, the pitch of the tone is dependent on the nearness of the player's arm to an antenna; unlike the theremin, the antenna was in the shape of a cross, and the electronics were inside a brass ball to which the cross was affixed. It was developed by Russian born composer Nikolai Obukhov who lived and worked in France from 1918, and built by Michel Billaudot and Pierre Dauvillier in Paris; they developed a prototype version in 1926 and demonstrated an improved version in 1934.
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gnd · 1293637688 · wikidata · Q1140792 · wikipedia · Croix Sonore
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Overview
Along with many, including Maurice Martenot, Obhukov was present at a demonstration of the thereminvox by its inventor Lev Termen (Leon Theremin) in 1924. Obukhov composed several pieces for the Croix Sonore, in duet with piano, in ensemble and as solo instrument with orchestras. The Croix Sonore was played by Marie-Antoinette Aussenac-Broglie, who was a student of Obukhov's.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1293637688, Croix Sonore.
Unverified · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
reference work
- “Croix Sonore”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1140792: Croix Sonore
Unverified · Wikidata
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authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1293637688, Croix Sonore.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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