Listen to "Ode to Joy" Played Through Russian Nesting Dolls

As many music teachers, parents and children’s television personalities over the years have stated: anything can be a musical instrument if you want it to be. Japan’s Matryomin ensemble is a true testament to that as a plain fact and to the spirit it seeks to encourage.

Japanese theremin makers Mandarin Electron embedded a pitch only theremin inside a Russian matryoshka doll, which the Matryomin ensemble plays to captivating effect. As seen in the video below, the performances are strange, transfixing, and beautiful. Needless to say, you’ve never heard Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” quite like this.

To see more of the Matryomin ensemble's work, visit their YouTube channel.