This is VERY interesting! I'm sorry I can't be there to hear in person what the acoustical recording sounds like compared to the violinist's sound. It will surely be a valuable lesson about how to judge the sound as it is preserved on acoustical recordings, compared to the real thing.
Am I mistaken that at some time during the 1960s Birgit Nilsson made an acoustical recording of a Wagner selection, maybe "Ho-yo-to-ho" from the beginning of Die Walkure Act 3, as an experiment? For fun? And that it was played on a Met broadcast intermission and coupled with her recent Decca recording of the same music? I seem to recall having heard it. And thinking that despite the serious limitations of the acoustical process, Nilsson's unique sound was instantaneously recognizable. It was another lesson about the sound of acoustical recordings. There can't be too many for a collector/listener.
Don Tait
-----Original Message-----
From: Gerald Fabris <[log in to unmask]>
To: ARSCLIST <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, Sep 24, 2012 1:38 pm
Subject: [ARSCLIST] NJ Audio Society - wax cylinder recording session, Sunday, Oct 21, 3:30
Upcoming program hosted by the New Jersey Audio Society
<http://www.njaudiosociety.com/>
"Edison’s Legacy: The symbiosis of art and technology"
Where: St. Philips the Apostle Church, Saddle Brook NJ
When: Sunday October 21, 2012 at 3:30 PM.
Admission is free. Donations are encouraged.
On October 21st, Eric Wyrick, concertmaster of the New Jersey Symphony
Orchestra, will record ‘Prélude 'le Deluge‘ by Saint-Saens on an original
Edison Cylinder, the first commercial recording system, widely used between
1888-1915. Working with Jerry Fabris, museum curator of the Thomas Edison
National Historical Park, and Darryl Kubian, NJSO violinist, composer and
sound engineer, the program will explore the ever-evolving medium of
recorded sound, featuring technology from the late 19th century to the
present day. The recordings produced during this program will provide a
springboard for an interactive discussion between the artist, engineer and
audience.
While the unique sound of the Edison Cylinder is fascinating in its own
right, this program will also explore how it has influenced the art of
modern recording. Mr. Kubian will simultaneously record Mr. Wyrick on two
additional systems, each representing a pivotal phase in the history of
sound technology. This live comparison of electronic recording technology
to its mechanical predecessor will provide a unique opportunity to examine
the progress we have made, and remember some of what we have lost.
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