History of Recorded Music Exam 1
Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
1877 he hired Bell to create an answering machine, creates the first phonograph, and creates the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company in 1878
George W. Johnson (1846-1914)
First African American recording artist, known for "The Whistling Coon"(1891), "The Laughing Song". Sold over 15,000 records while recording between 1890-1895
Earnest Hogan (1865-1909)
First black performer to star in a Broadway show, The Oyster Man 1907
Emile Berliner
Foresaw the future of mass produced recorded music. Lost her carbon microphone patent to Edison in 1892. Created the Berliner Gramophone Company in 1895, which transitioned into the English gramophone Co. Ltd. Used a zinc master covered with a fatty film to produce records.
Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville (1817-1879)
French Printer and bookseller, interested in stenography and invented the Phonautograph in 1857
Plugging
Venues, Audience Participation, Provided musicians with gigs and many composers (George Gershwin and Irving Berlin) started as pluggers. It gave life to Vaudeville acts.
Ragtime
type of music that emerged in the late 20th, and originated in red light teaverns by blending African-American songs and European musical forms.
Commercialization of Music
- 19th Century America - New Copyright Laws - Rise of popular song - New age of industrialization
Popular Music in the United States
- Vaudeville recordings - Coons Songs - Band music - Popular Parlor music - Ethic parody music - Foreign traditional music - Southern songs
Phonograph Business during War
1914 WWI, US 1917. Royal Naval blockade cut off the chemical supplies needed to make records. Records made at this time told stories of the war. Rally calls like "We're All Going Calling on the Kaiser" 1918 - Caddigan and Brennan
Victor Format
78 rpm shellac, 10"discs at 18-100 TPI = 3min 12" classical discs - 4-5min Victrola lateral cut records w/ single use needles
Pianola
A either mechanized piano or attachment for a real piano that gave people an active role in making music by propelling pedals, that were played by music rolls Made by the Aeolian Company, founded as Mechanical Orguinette Co. 1878
The Record Album
A legitamte photo album converted to hold records that were set for long works 1903 Verdi's Ernani opera is released on 40 discs 1909 Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite 8, 4 dble discs
Hits of Tin Pan Alley
After the Ball Charles K Harris 1891 God Bless America Irving Berlin 1918 Hello Ma Baby Emerson, Howard, & Sterling 1899 Swanee George Gershwin, 1919 Take Me Out to the Ball Game Albert Von Tilzer
Oberlin Smith (1840-1926)
American Engineer who pioneered the concept of magnetic recording. Proposed the theory in 1878 and published the design in 1889.
Bell's telephone, 1876
Began as an experiment for the harmonic telegraph starting with the string design. Bell submitted the patent first and then made a working prototype that was not commercially releasable.
Scott Joplin (1867-19170)
Celebrated pianist, "King of Ragtime," grew up studying music, teaching guitar and mandolin in the Red Light District. Composer of 44 ragtime composition, 2 operas and one ballet.
"After the Ball"
Charles K. Harris 1891, Most popular song of its era, a national hit, embodied Victorian themes and epitomized the popular song. Sold over 5 mill with aggressive marketing. Paid performers to be featured on the cover.
Tin Pan Alley
Collection of music publishers in New York City that met the vaudeville's increased demand. International Copyright act of 1891. Combined visual esthetic with sound
Music Publishing
Copyright act of 1891
Columbia Format
Cylinder and Disc formats in 1901 72-83 rpm standard Grafonola in response to Victrola Double sided records in 1908 Cross compatible w/ slight infringement
Edison Format
Diamond Discs, 1/4th inch thick, 10" standard, 80rpm discs. Hill and Dale cutting, 150 TPI 5 minutes per side
The Big Three
Edison National Phonograph Company (Edison) Columbia Phonograph Company (Lippincott) Victor Talking Machine Company (Eldridge Johnson)
Duplication
Edison's electroplated method. Gold applied to wax that is built up with nickel/copper. Hot waax negative mold perfects the process by the 1890s
Victor Records
Eldridge Johnson had an aggressive advertising agenda. Focused on artist promotion and the viral use of the HMV watermark. Releases the Victrola in 1906 with a premiere Red Seal on records.
USA, late 19th century
Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, end of Civil War 1865 and the beginning of Reconstruction. Second Industrial Revolution, new economic growth and immigration. Age of new technologies and music appreciation.
Eldridge Johnson (1867-1945)
Enlisted by Berliner to improve gramophone he developed a reliable wind-up spin motor and eventually built machines for Berliner
Red Seal Records
European import line embodies a piece of fine art in fine packaging and inflates price by $2. Classical music and operas were very well received.
M. Witmark and Sons
Firm established 1886 NYC, focused on popular song sheet music and set the business model
African Americans on Record
George W Johnson - "whistling Coon" and "Laughing Son" Bert Williams - "Nobody" 1905 song Columbia Records 1906 Fisk Jubilee Singers - "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" 1909 Victor Records First commercially recorded African American music outside of minstrel/vaudeville aesthetic
Fred Gaisberg (1873-1951)
Grew up working in American record labs and established the Gramophone Co.'s first studio in London, became chief engineer and talent scout. Travelled all over Europe to record artists and famously travelled to Milan 1902 to record Enrico Caruso's Vesti La Giubba. 290 records under HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice, Originally a British patent that was adopted to represent the logo of the Victor Talking Machine Company
Telegraphone
Invented by Valdemar Poulson in 1889, it intended to serve as a voicemail system. It employs electromagnetic induction to magnetize areas of a wire with tape-like ribbons.
Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)
Invented the telephone in 1876, built the ear Phonautograph to start with a hay needle attached to an ear to scrib onto a glass cylinder
Birth of the Jazz Age
Irving Berlin, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" 1911 Banjo Ragtime recordings Ragtime recordings by military bands - "Stomp Dance"
North American Phonograph Company
Jesse Lippincott purchased Edison's Speaking Phonograph company and consolidated all major phonograph companies in America. 1894 bankruptcy, Edison returns to start the new National Phonograph Company 1896.
Record Sales
Less than 1/2 Mill before 1897 More than 2.8 Mill in two years Caused by assembly lines, quality control, railroad systems, standardized pricing and marketing
Parlor Songs
Music sold as sheet music, performed in parlors oftenly folk songs, European art songs and operas. -"Ah! May the Red Rose live Always" Stephen Foster 1850 -"Listen to the Mockingbird" Alice Hawthorne
Operatic Recording Artists
Nellie Melba (1861-1931) an Australian born operatic soprano made many first recordings in NYC 1895, refused to release for poor quality. Recorded again in 1904 for the gramophone Adeline Patti (1843-1919) a Spanish operatic soprano recorded around 30 gramophone records Metropolitan opera singers, recorded by Columbia Records - Marcella Sembrich (1858-1935) a Polish Soprano, beginning at the MET 1883 - Antonio Scotti (1866-1936) was an Italian baritone and principle artist at the MET for 33 seasons. Many American opera performers recorded with both Columbia and Victor
Dixieland Jazz Band
New Orleans Band of white musicians who sought to recreate the southern Jazz. 1917 Victor Records with "tiger Rag" in 1918. Brought a new genre to huge popularity without the proper justice to improvisation and rhythmic influences.
Stephen Foster (1826-1864)
One of Americas first great songwriter to make a living as professional songwriter. Wrote music for minstrel shows in addition to parlor songs that evoked themes of lost youth and happiness like "My Old Kentucky Home," "Camptown Races," and "Oh Suzanna"
Jazz Style
Originated in New Orleans, blend of ragtime/blues Improvisatory in nature, cornets, banjos, trombones, drums, piano is the earliest form of jazz never recorded.
Phonoautograph
Patented in France March 25, 1857 and invented in 1877. It utilized a horn, diaphragm and a stylus. Designed as analog to the human ear, a parchment diaphragm, horn an open-ended barrel, Lightweight stylus, Scribed onto a soot-covered rotating cylinder of paper of glass - Results could be seen but not replayed. The device intended for research, never meant to reproduce sound. The produced recordings were known as phonautogram.
Electronic Telegraph
Patented in the US 1837, method of sending encrypted messages down a wire via electrical current
Consumerism 19th Century
People have an unending appetite for the new and different that feeds a new personal fulfillment of desire.
Recording Process
Players were forced to play crammed together loudly, with different sized horns and modified "Stroh" instruments
Minstrel Shows
Popular form of 1830's theater involving dancing, comedy and popular song.
Coon Songs
Popular genre in 1880-1920s, racist stereotypes of blacks composed by black songwriters. Featured heavily in vaudeville performances with a peak popularity in the 1890's since it incorporated ragtime elements o "The Dandy Coon's Parade" 1880 o "The Coons are on parade" 1883 o "The Whistling Coon" 1891 o "Coon, coon, coon" 1900
Song Factory
Publisher, Editor, Arranger, Songwriters, Title developers. Songs marketed for female audiences that often recycled and imitated other successful songs.
Volta Labs
Set up by Bell and his two cousins in 1880. Developed the Photophone for the first wireless transmission. Developed an analog of the phonograph but with wax instead of foil. Coined as the Graphophone.
Popular Song
Simple-to-follow form Simple in construction so its performable by amateurs. Meant to please the senses and/or inspire movement so that it's commercially successful
Samuel Morse
Telegraph Patent of 1837 sending encrypted messages down a wire via electrical current
