Earlist recorded sound.

[Monty]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7318180.stm

Phil Hutchinson singing Au Clare de la lune apparently. 1860.

Monty


PS Earliest, before any of the spelling Fuzz start.

[Sam Flynn]

I recall a similar "scoop" in a Classical Music magazine (Classic CD) going back to the early 1990s. They had the invention down to a certain "Hyppolite Sot", and purported to have reconstructed a recording of Chopin playing his own "Minute Waltz" in 58 seconds, and were to release this historic recording on CD. Interestingly, the serial number of the CD was something like "XOHA-01/04/92" - which, if you're into anagrams and are familiar with the British convention for writing dates, ought to give you a clue as to where this idea really came from. Now, how many days left in March?

[Chris Scott]

What is the earliest spoken word recording?
I remember hearing recordings of Florence Nightingale, Oscar Wilde, Tennyson reading from one of his works, and, I think Queen Victoria, but I am not certain about the last.
Anyone know the earliest surviving spoken word recording?
Chris

[George Hutchinson]

Oh my God! I absolutely love this piece of news. I am staggered. This is amazing, not least because of the BIZARRE method of recording. If it were a few days later I'd say it was a joke (like the Chopin one). I can't wait to hear it!

As the item says, everyone always assumed the first recording was Edison's from 1877. I would presume (without knowing) it still exists somewhere, though I guess is never played to preserve what's left of it? I know the recording you often hear of Edison is one he did many years later (rather like Churchill's war speeches).

Chris - I'm not sure about a recording of Queen Victoria existing. Are you sure you're not confusing it with the short snippet of film that exists of her in a carriage in 1900? I do know one exists of Florence Nightingale. I also know some exist of Sir William Booth, because I have them on a 78 (for those who don't know, 78 rpm discs are another field of interest of mine).

The earliest recorded sound of a concert was made at The Royal Albert Hall a few months before the Ripper murders began. I've heard it, but you can hardly make out anything except a little pitching.

PHILIP

[Mike Covell]

It's quite a spooky sounding clip almost like something the guys at Most Haunted would present as an EVP!!

I just wonder what else is out there waiting to be found.

[Sam Flynn]

I should point out that the (admitted) hoax in Classic CD involved precisely the same "soot-cylinder" recording device as is mentioned here. The article also referred to a painstaking process by which the spidery trace carved by the bristle in the soot was decoded to reconstruct the Chopin jam-session. It would be remarkable indeed if the magazine had concocted something so extraordinary in practically every detail, only for this fantasy to come true many years later.

PS: "Au claire de la lune"? Is this a pun on "moonshine"?

PPS: I really don't mind being wrong on this if it's proven true!

[Sam Flynn]

It's quite a spooky sounding clip almost like something the guys at Most Haunted would present as an EVP!!

I just wonder what else is out there waiting to be found.

Believe it or not, I was clearing out my old CDs yesterday, and realised that I'd put the very Classic CD coverdisc referred to earlier into the rubbish bin. I've just rescued it, and have made an mp3 of that spoof "Chopin jam-session" I mentioned. Here's a link to the mp3. Enjoy!

[Mike Covell]

Believe it or not, I was clearing out my old CDs yesterday, and realised that I'd put the very Classic CD coverdisc referred to earlier into the rubbish bin. I've just rescued it, and have made an mp3 of that spoof "Chopin jam-session" I mentioned. Here's a link to the mp3. Enjoy!

Thanks for that, it sounds quite eerie!!

I actually had a cd playing loud dance music and it kinda mixed in!!

[Robert]

That galloping horse must have been awfully tired, having to suppport the weight of both Chopin and the piano.

Superb playing - and horsemanship - by Chopin.

Is there a recording of his Polonaise played on an elephant?

[Sam Flynn]

Superb playing - and horsemanship - by Chopin.

Is there a recording of his Polonaise played on an elephant?

Not as such, Rob, but I've a rendition of the "Raindrop Prelude" played on a herd of wildebeest leaping into the Limpopo river which is surprisingly good.

[Robert]

Gareth, I'm told that one Chopin Prelude can last the crocs a whole year.

[Graham]

According to what I just dredged out of cyberspace, the earliest-known recording of the human voice was 'Au Clair de la Lune' by some French character in or about 1861. His name was Scott de Martinville.

For my part, there were no worthwhile sound recordings whatsoever until Mississippi John Hurt's 1928 sessions, which sound as sharp and fresh today as they did then. And as fiendishly difficult to play.

If Queen Victoria ever made a recording, it would have been something like, "Not tonight, Albert - pleeeese!"

Cheers,

Graham

[Notaro]

There's a couple of 2 disc sets of cds which are pretty interesting which contain many early recordings of historical figures. I picked these up myself and they're well worth a listen.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Voices-History-Various/dp/0712343253/ref=pd_sim_m_h_?ie=UTF8&qid=1208586233&sr=1-3

All the best,
Notaro

[Magpie]

Apparently the BBC archive has audio recordings of Queen Victoria, Oscar Wilde and Henry Irving in their collection (Not together, of course).

[aspallek]

On a slightly more serious note, the earliest recording of a live musical concert still exists on wax cylinder although it is very very poor condition. It was made in the summer of 1888 at the Handel Festival at Crystal Palace.

Check it out at: http://www.webrarian.co.uk/crystalpalace/

See also: http://cylindersontheweb.angelcities.com/ especially "rare recordings."

I don't know what the earliest recirded voice recording was. I suppose something spoken by Edison in his lab. There is the story that Edison's first live demo recording using his machine was of the inventor reciting "Mary Had a Little Lamb" but I don't think that was preserved.