The word phonograph was the trade name for the world’s first device for the recording of sound. Thomas Edison filed for its patent on December 24, 1877. The device was quite archaic in design and played cylinders rather than discs. The machine had two needles: one for recording and one for playback. Speaking into the mouthpiece would cause the sound vibrations to be indented onto the cylinder by the recording needle. The world’s first phonograph created a sensation and brought Edison international fame.

The fact that this invention was able to capture various voice frequencies gave the earliest performers of that age a chance to showcase their talents.

Edison Sound Recordings (High Voice Songs) Audio CD from the A2ZCDS series makes up for understandably primitive recording with sheer musicianship. There is no overlooking the virtuosity of the maestros featured on this historical 16 track CD. The ‘Kashmiri Song’ performed by Maggie Teyte (words by Laurence Hope) was first published in 1921, as was ‘La Mamma Morta’, written by Andrea Chenier and performed by Claudia Muzio. You will be treated to the first ever recording of the legendary Bellini’s ‘La Sonnambula’ and will experience Verdi’s ‘O Patria Mia’ as it was first heard by an awestruck world of music lovers. Pagliacci’s ‘Vesti la Giubba’ is also featured amongst the classical greats that Edison’s world-changing invention, the phonograph, immortalized right up to the present day.

‘That Tumble-down Shack in Athlone’ is a pathos-filled rendition of this famous folk song by Will Oakland, and the clarity of the singer’s voice sublimates the rudimentary recording. ‘My Mother’s Rosary’ is a moving story of true, old-fashioned values as opposed to modern ones, and it is a safe bet that this gem of a song would have been lost if it had not been for the timely invention of the phonograph. Reed Miller’s tantalizing baritone, so very similar to Pavarotti’s, captivates in ‘Love, Here is my Heart’ while a delicious interplay of stringed instruments supports him. All in all, this is a collection that will raise you above both yourself and contemporary times - to an age when music was being reinvented for posterity.

Listen to Samples:

To hear a song sample, click on the " Listen ."

TRACK	RUNNING TIME	MP3
1. My mother's rosary	00:04:11	Listen
2. That tumble-down	00:03:38	Listen
3. Tancuj	00:03:35
4. Omar Rabbi Elozor	00:03:55
5. When the roll is called up yonder	00:03:44
6. The church in the wildwood	00:04:02
7. La sonnambula-I	00:03:48
8. La sonnambula-II	00:03:57
9. O patria mia--Aida-I	00:04:35
10. O patria mia--Aida-II	00:04:23
11. Vesti la giubba--I Pagliacci	00:03:14
12. Kashmiri song	00:03:42
13. Give a man a horse he can ride	00:04:07
14. La mamma morta	00:04:16
15. Quand' ero paggio	00:02:40
16. The trumpet shall sound	00:04:11

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EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Many musical disciplines are represented in this musical time capsule, but the accent in this CD is on the beauty of professionally high-strung vocal cords. You will, at the end, acknowledge that true musical talent has existed for much longer than you may have imagined, and that it is only the post-Edison phase that we are aware of. This realization gives one a deep feeling of history, and a new respect for the Masters of the Past.

The ability to pitch one’s voice to higher notes is celebrated beautifully in this collection. It will not fail to please musical purists and history buffs alike. The visual imagery that the songs and the context of bygone ages evoke is priceless and infinitely memorable. This is a CD you will be able to enjoy and discuss with your family and friends for years to come - it certainly sparked off some lively discussion in this reviewer’s own household.

CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS:

"Maybe I didn’t really know what to expect. Maybe I just bought this CD (Edison Sound Recordings - (High Voice Songs) Audio CD) from A2ZCDS as a gag, to have a few laughs. But the musical content is subliminal and surprising in its richness, and I found myself listening gape-mouthed at what these voices and instruments from another age were doing. This is a musical experience unlike any other that I’ve ever had."

Customer's Name: Natalie Bissett (Naperville, Illinois)