Listen to audio

Run time: 2:27

Stream (help)

MP3 via M3U

Play / Download (help)

Whole directory

Resources

August MannsHandel festival: "Israel In Egypt" - excerpt (1888)

Handel festival: "Israel In Egypt" - excerpt
On note with cylinder: "A chorus of 4000 voices recorded with phonograph over 100 yards away"
Composed by: G.F. Handel
Conducted by: August Manns
Record format: Edison yellow paraffine cylinder
Recorded by: Col. George Gouraud, foreign sales agent for Thomas Edison
Location: the Crystal Palace, London, England
Recording date: June 29, 1888.
ENHS object catalog number: E-2440-20
** Historical note: This is the earliest known recorded music in existence.


This audio is part of the collection: 78 RPMs & Cylinder Recordings

Artist/Composer: August Manns
Date: 1888-00-00 00:00:00
Source: National Park Service
Keywords: Oldtime

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

Individual Files

Write a review
Downloaded 1,891 timesReviews
Average Rating:

Reviewer: johnorford - - October 14, 2008
Subject: lets get shot of spuzz
Who is spuzz? Some fourteen year old, obsessed with making fun of the world his parents and teachers represent, who blundered his way here and is enjoying mocking things he knows nothing about? I can only suggest we ostracise him, until he finds some other pointless amusement for his small mind.

Reviewer: Ventolin - - August 2, 2006
Subject: Mesmerizing
This recording is absolutely breathtaking.
Ghostly and gorgeous.
I can't stop listening to it.

If you like this stuff you might also like:
William Basinski "The Disintegration Loops I-IV"

Read more about the Handel recording at
http://www.webrarian.co.uk/crystalpalace/crystal16.html

Reviewer: Jesse Waugh - - October 14, 2005
Subject: Angelic Sounds Obscured
Why, Spuzz, would you feel the need to pass judgement on the oldest recording of music in the world? This isn't Austin Powers, my hip friend. There's no "weird novelty" to it - who do you think you are?

The sounds that can be heard through the distortion are otherworldly and angelic.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - March 26, 2005
Subject: Note: This is the oldest recorded static in existence.
Quite funny when you read the description and then listen to the record and find out that the '100 yards' away from where the singers were isn't close enough and pretty soon, a roaring static appears, which starts off slowly, then overcomes the 'music' at the end. Interesting for the age, more interesting for the weird novelty value.