Sometime between July 1871 and January 1872, Alfred Cornu and Ernst
Mercadier used a cross between a phonautograph and a string telephone to
record Hubert Leonard (violin) and, separately, Hippolyte-Prosper Seligmann
(cello) playing several selections for a mathematical study of musical
intervals. According to the published proceedings of the French Academy of
Sciences, one of the test selections was the opening measures of the second
measure of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
But I'm sure music boxes with Beethoven works programmed on them go back
much further than that!
- Patrick
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 5:44 PM, Frank Forman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> What was the first recording of a Beethoven work?
>
> Roberto Bauer, in his Historical Records, 1898-1908/09, gives
>
> BORCHERS, Gustav, bass, 1865 Wotlwiesche-1913 Leipzig
> Polyphon (Brown Wax) Leipzig, 1900
> Catalog no. 226
> Der Kuss, Op. 128
>
> But what are the earlier recordings? I include everything, Berliners,
> cylinders, music boxes, etc. The answer will surprise you and make you
> wonder what you didn't think of that.
>
> Anyone have a list of web resources? I've found an excellent source,
> compiled by Robert Johannesson, at 78opera.com. Alas the first section,
> covering singers from A to part of B is missing.
>
> Frank
>
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