Re: historic recording materials

["Bill Troop" billtroop@xxxxxxxx]

What a fabulous quotation! Isn't it amazing how Sullivan cogently saw the best and the worst that the technology would offer? How grateful musicians must have been that something (whatever it might be) could last beyond the memory of their auditors.


On Sun, Mar 9, 2008 at 11:57 PM, Stephen A. Carter mailto:scarter@xxxxxxxx wrote:

After dinner toast at Little Menlo

Spoken by: Arthur Sullivan, composer

Introduction by: Col. George Gouraud

Record format: Edison yellow paraffine cylinder

Recording date: October 5, 1888

Location: Little Menlo, London, England

ENHS object catalog number: E-2439-7

** Transcript of Arthur Sullivan's message to Edison upon introduction

to the phonograph:

" . . . For myself, I can only say that I am astonished and somewhat

terrified at the results of this evening's experiment -- astonished at

the wonderful power you have developed, and terrified at the thought

that so much hideous and bad music may be put on record forever. But all

the same, I think it is the most wonderful thing that I have ever

experienced, and I congratulate you with all my heart on this wonderful

discovery."



http://www.nps.gov/archive/edis/edisonia/audio/EDIS-SRP-0155-14.mp3



--

Stephen A. Carter

mailto:scarter@xxxxxxxx

Nagoya, Japan