Several years ago there was what could be deemed breaking news in the classical world, news that probably sent shivers up many enthusiasts’ and music-history buffs’ spines. Good shivers, that is. It was the unearthing of 200-plus phonograph cylinder recordings in an old archive in Russia. With low volume and heavy amounts of surface noise, the cylinders hold a brief but invaluable glimpse into the early days of recording and how classical music was performed throughout the years. Some of these cylinders carry the earliest known recordings of works by Bach, Verdi and Schumann, to name just a few.

A selection of the recordings ranging from 1890 to 1923 will be released this month on the Marston label. An article I came across a couple weeks ago discusses the discovery of many of the recordings at auctions and in old archives, and how the plan for their creation and allusions to their lingering existence was discovered in the correspondence between a music-loving businessman, Julius H. Block, and Thomas Edison himself. It is a fascinating article. If you are a fan of juicy tidbits of musical history, give this article a read and perhaps pick up the recording—you just might hear a whistling Tchaikovsky in the background.

Read the original article here: Classical Ghosts, Audible Once Again