Music recorded in December 1889
December 1889 was a month in which social policies and academic infrastructure were developed in line with the progress of industrialization and imperialism. For example, Belgium enacted labor laws restricting the working hours and age of women and minors, the American Academy of Political and Social Science was founded in Philadelphia, and the Bishop Museum, which houses natural and cultural materials from Hawaii and Polynesia, was opened in Honolulu.
That same month, Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta The Gondoliers premiered in London, and observation teams were sent to the coast of Angola and elsewhere to track the total solar eclipse on the 22nd. Meanwhile, a global influenza pandemic known as the "Russian flu" reached its peak in Paris around Christmas. This was a time when numerous cultural, astronomical, and public health events were occurring simultaneously.
Confirmed recordings this month: 219
2nd day (2 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 1 g-Moll / Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor | Johannes Brahms |
| Die Libelle, op. 204 | Johannes Brahms |
[Events that took place on December 2, 1889]
・Paul Shearer Althouse (1889–1954)
Opera singer Paul Shearer Althouse (1889–1954) was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA. He was active at the Metropolitan Opera for 30 years and is known for expanding his repertoire from lyric tenor in Italian opera to dramatic tenor in Wagner's works.
・Serial killer Jean Doga sentenced to death
The Mortes-et-Moselle Department Court of Appeal and the Court of Felony Crimes in Nancy, eastern France, sentenced serial killer Jean Dauga (1849–1890) to death on December 2, 1889. Dauga, nicknamed "the man in the cloak" for having committed around a dozen murders in Pont-à-Mousson and other areas, was executed by guillotine the following year, January 23, 1890.
3rd (13 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Color Guard March | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Bay State Commandery March | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Tube Rose Waltzes | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Down Went McGinty } 1 | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Down Went McGinty } 2 | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| The Corporal's Guard | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Frida Polka | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Mayor Bernard – March | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| White Rose Waltzes | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Happy Time Of Youth | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Song & Dance | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Orange Club March | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| I Think Of Thee Waltzes | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
[Events on December 3, 1889]
・Venice premiere of Eugène Ysaÿe's mazurka "Lointain passé"
Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931) premiered his mazurka Lointain passé at a concert in Venice, Italy. According to reviews in local newspapers, the work was welcomed by the audience as combining delicate poetry with high technical skill, and the evening helped to solidify Ysaÿe's international reputation.
・Cyrillus Kreek (1889–1962)
Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek (1889–1962) was born in Vonn, Estonia, part of the Russian Empire. He was one of the first people to use the gramophone extensively to collect folk songs, and he made a significant contribution to the establishment of Estonian folk music through his numerous choral works.
・Henri Alibert (1889–1951)
French singer and actor Henri Alibert (1889–1951) was born in the Vaucluse department in southern France. He gained popularity for his witty speech and singing in a Marseilles accent, and became a music hall star known for recordings such as "Mon Paris."
・Baltasar Saldoni y Remendo (1807–1889)
The Spanish composer and musicologist Baltasar Saldoni y Remendo (1807–1889) has died in Madrid. He is known not only for his operas and sacred music, but also for his work as a music historian, having compiled a comprehensive biographical dictionary of Spanish musicians.
・Nikola Tesla's AC motor patent
The United States Patent Office has registered several patents by Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) related to AC motors (patent numbers 416,191, 416,192, 416,193, 416,194, 416,195, etc.). All of these patents relate to polyphase AC induction motors and their operation methods, and are considered important in the Tesla patent catalog as inventions that formed the foundation for later power transmission systems and industrial motor technology.
4th (13 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Quartermaster Newton's March | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| The “President's” March | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Arcadian – Promenade | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Down Went McGinty | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Piccolo Polka | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Phonograph Galop | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| The Button Hole Bouquet – Waltzes | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Corporal's Guard | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| The Color Guard | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| White Rose Waltz | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Sunny Days | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Dancing In The Barn | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
| Mazurka Italiano | Duffy & Imgrunds 5th Regmt Band |
[Events on December 4, 1889]
・Lloyd Francis Bacon (1889–1955)
Lloyd Francis Bacon (1889–1955) was a film director and actor born on December 4, 1889 in San Jose, California, USA. After appearing in films by Charles Chaplin, he became an exclusive director for Warner Bros., working on films across a variety of genres such as 42nd Street, and became known as an artisan director in Hollywood in the 1930s.
・Bella Rosenfeld (1889–1944)
Bella Rosenfeld (1889–1944) was a Jewish woman born on December 4, 1889, near Vitebsk in the Russian Empire, and is known as the wife and muse of painter Marc Chagall (1887–1985). The image of floating lovers that frequently appears in Chagall's works originates from his relationship with Bella, and even after her death, the image continued to be a symbolic motif of memory and loss for the artist.
・Execution of Tantia Beer
Tantia Bhil (1840–1889) was hanged on December 4, 1889, in a prison in Jubbulpore, Central Province, British India. A member of the Bhil tribe, he was also known as the "Robin Hood of India." He led the anti-British armed struggle throughout Madhya Pradesh in the 1870s and 1880s, and is still celebrated today as a symbolic hero of tribal movements and anti-colonial struggles.
5th (17 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| The Monarch Line March | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Little Buttercup Song & Dance | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Autumn Leaves Waltzes | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Something To Please The Babies | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Old Oaken Bucket | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Sounds From Home | Duffy & Imgrund |
| American Airways | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Popular Airways | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Pretty Pond Lilies Waltz | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Quartermaster Newton | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Religious Airs | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Religious Melodies | Duffy & Imgrund |
| O' Think Of The Home Over There | Duffy & Imgrund |
| I'm Praying For You | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Refuge | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Home Of My Soul | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Bay State Commandery March | Duffy & Imgrund |
[Events of December 5, 1889]
・Damia (1889–1978)
Damia (1889–1978, real name Marie-Louise Damien), a chanson singer, was born in Paris, France. She gained popularity in Parisian cabarets after World War I, and with her emotional singing and dramatic stage performances, she became a representative figure of French popular music in the 1930s.
6th (14 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Friendship March | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Approach Of Spring Waltzes | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Monastery Bells | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Saw My Leg Off | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Monastery Bells | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Tube Rose Waltzes | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Monastery Bells | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Tube Rose Waltz } By Request | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Down Went McGinty | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Killarney Waltzes | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Sidonia Polka | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Phonograph Galop | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Society Yorke | Duffy and Imgrunds |
| Song and Dance by Request | Duffy and Imgrunds |
[Events of December 6, 1889]
・Jefferson Finis Davis (1808–1889)
Jefferson Finis Davis (1808–1889), President of the Confederate States of America, died in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event was seen as the end of a generation of Southern leaders during the Civil War, and large-scale memorial events were held mainly in the former Southern states.
・Deposition begins in United States v. Bell
On December 6, 1889, it was reported that extensive depositions had begun in a lawsuit filed by the United States government seeking to invalidate Alexander Graham Bell's (1847–1922) telephone patent. This protracted litigation disputed the validity of the telephone patent and priority of communications technology over claims of first invention, but ultimately ended without any substantive judicial decision due to the expiration of the patent.
7th (13 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Colored Guards March | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Monastery Bells } 1 | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Monastery Bells 2 | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Magic Trumpet | Duffy & Imgrund |
| The Night Alarm 1 | Duffy & Imgrund |
| The Night Alarm 2 | Duffy & Imgrund |
| The Night Alarm 3 | Duffy & Imgrund |
| The Old Homestead Schottische | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Love's Dreamland Waltzes | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Sounds From Home | Duffy & Imgrund |
| 5th Regmt. Promenade | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Magic Trumpet | Duffy & Imgrund |
| Secret Love – March | Duffy & Imgrund |
[Events that took place on December 7, 1889]
・Premiere of the operetta "Gondoliers"
The operetta "The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria," with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert (William Schwenck Gilbert, 1836–1911) and music by Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842–1900), premiered at the Savoy Theatre in London. It was a huge success, with 554 performances, and is regarded as one of Gilbert and Sullivan's masterpieces from their later period.
9th (10 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March – Semper Fidelis | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – The LuLu Bird | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Robin Adair & Var. | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Sweet Dreams | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Oriole | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Yorke – Mignon | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Birdie's Favorite | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Birds Festival | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Libiamo – Verdi | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Russian Ballad | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
[Events that took place on December 9, 1889]
・Unveiling of the Southampton Sayers Memorial Clock
The Sayers Memorial Clock Tower in Southampton, England (currently located in Bittan Park Triangle on the east side of Cobden Bridge) was built in 1889, and its official unveiling ceremony was held on December 9th of that year, with local dignitaries and citizens in attendance. The clock tower was originally a memorial tower with a drinking fountain located at the intersection of Above Bar Street and New Road, and was moved to its current location in the 1930s, where it remains a city landmark to this day.
・Chicago Auditorium Theatre opens
On December 9, 1889, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, USA, was officially opened with a grand opening ceremony attended by U.S. President Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901) and others.
The theater was part of the Auditorium Building, designed by architects Dankmar Adler (1844–1900) and Louis Sullivan (1856–1924), and became a cultural landmark of Chicago as one of the largest opera houses in the world at the time.
10th (11 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March – Hurrah | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Song & Dance "On The Go"” | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Clover Leaf | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Pearls & Blossoms | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Yorke – Falling Leaves | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Song & Dance – Down Went McGinty | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Lydia | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Santa Lucia | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Galop – Here & There | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Dance For Joy | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Vision Of Paradise | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
[Events that took place on December 10, 1889]
・The Straits Times, Singapore, December 10, 1889
The December 10, 1889 issue of the English-language newspaper The Straits Times was published in Singapore, a British Straits Settlement, and is filled with trade advertisements and advertisements for "Japanese Art" products for Christmas. This shows that the port city of Singapore had become a hub for international trade and consumer culture, and also suggests that Japanese products were being sold in the colonial market.
・Manuel Font de Anta (1889–1936)
Manuel Font de Anta (1889–1936) was a composer and conductor born on December 10, 1889 in Seville, Spain. He is known for his emotionally rich religious processional music, such as his Holy Week marches and saetas, and is credited with bringing a dramatic and lyrical color to Spanish music in the first half of the 20th century.
11th (11 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March “Concordia” | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka Oriole | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Yankee Doodle & Var. | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Hungarian | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Song & Dance – Just The Style | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Yorke “Crescent City” | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| March Medley | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz “Irene” KK. | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Shuano | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Galop – Electric Club | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka Experts | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
[Events of December 11, 1889]
・U.S. Congress Commemoration of the Centennial of Washington's Inauguration
On December 11, 1889, a joint session of the United States Congress held a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the centennial of the inauguration of George Washington (1732–1799) as the first president. It is recorded that Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Melville Weston Fuller (1833–1910) delivered a commemorative speech at the ceremony, in which he spoke about the founding principles of the nation and the continuation of the constitutional system.
・Jefferson Davis' funeral and interment
After the death of Jefferson Finis Davis (1808–1889), who served as President of the Confederacy, he was buried in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana, after a large funeral procession on December 11, 1889. This funeral became an event symbolizing the memory of the former Confederacy, and newspapers and pictorial documents from the time record the large number of attendees from Southern states and veterans' organizations.
12th (11 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March – Prelude | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| [March] Greetings to Ems | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| German Ballad & Var. | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Idalia | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Song – Verdi | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz “Visions Of Paradise” | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka “Bouquet” | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Air From Santanella | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Song & Dance “Mary Ann McGuire” | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| One Heart One Mind York | GGF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Semper Fidelis March | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
[Events of December 12, 1889]
・Federal resolution establishing the Swiss coat of arms
The Swiss Federal Council adopted a Federal Decree (Bundesbeschluss betreffend das eidgenössische Wappen) establishing the national emblem as an "upright white cross on a red background", with the arms of the cross one-sixth longer than they are wide. This marked the first time that the traditional shape of the Swiss cross was codified at federal level, and laid the foundation for the design of the national emblem and flag that continues to this day.
13th (10 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March – Warrior's Farewell | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Gavotte – Lucille | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Visions Of Paradise | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Birdie's Favorite | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Russian Ballad & Var. | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Russian Ballad & Var. [(Ballad & Variations?)] Mc Ginty's | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Daughter of Love | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Overture – Hope Of Alsace | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Spring Song – By Medelsohn | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Galop “Heigh Ho” | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
[Events of December 13, 1889]
・Draft of resignation of Japan's Foreign Minister Okuma Shigenobu
On December 13, 1889, Ōkuma Shigenobu (1838–1922) drafted a letter to Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka (1840–1900) informing him of his intention to resign as Minister of Foreign Affairs, signaling continued political tensions over the issue of treaty revision.
This draft is passed down to Waseda University and other institutions as a historical document that illustrates part of the conflict over Japanese diplomacy and the cabinet system immediately after the promulgation of the Meiji Constitution.
・Lewis Carroll's "Sylvie and Bruno" Part 1 published
On December 13, 1889, the first part of Lewis Carroll's (1832–1898) late novel, Sylvie and Bruno, was published by Macmillan in London. Unlike Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this work has strong philosophical and religious overtones, and occupies a unique place in the history of children's literature and fantasy in the late Victorian era.
・Publication of the printed book "The Beginning of Japanese Long-Sleeved Kimono" by Chikamatsu Monzaemon
On December 13, 1889, a letterpress version of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's (1653–1725) joruri play "Nihon Furisode Hajime" was published as a Musashiya edition by Soshokaku, Maruzen Shosha Bookstore, and other publishers. The republication of a classic play using letterpress printing was a move symbolic of the reevaluation of early modern literature and changes in publishing culture during the Meiji period.
16th (7 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Jingle Bells | Will Lyle |
| Nigger Nigger Never Dies | Will Lyle |
| Barnyard Song | Will Lyle |
| Cat Song | Will Lyle |
| I Wonder How It Would Feel | Will Lyle |
| Rattle On The Banjo | Will Lyle |
| Banjo Solo | Will Lyle |
[Events of December 16, 1889]
・Minneapolis Public Library opens
The Minneapolis Public Library opened its first central branch at 10th Street and Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on December 16, 1889. It was the city's first purpose-built public library and later became a home to art galleries and scientific organizations, symbolizing the development of the city's modern cultural infrastructure.
・Announcement of the Beethoven House Support Concert
The December 16, 1889, issue of the New York German-language newspaper, New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung, carried an advertisement for a benefit concert to support the Beethoven-Haus Bonn in Bonn, Germany. This advertisement reveals that the German immigrant community, from as far away as America, was financially supporting the movement to preserve Beethoven's birthplace as a memorial museum.
18th (10 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March St. Nichol's | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Galop “Snap” | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Selection “Said Pasha” | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Selection “The Oolah” | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Waltz – “Fortuna” From Clover | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Hoboken Pioneers | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Greetings to Ems March | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Kentucky Jubilee | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Polka The Brigands | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
| Hornpipe Polka | Wm Tuson G. Schweinfest |
[Events of December 18, 1889]
・Russian flu and the first reported cases in the United States
The first cases of the 1889–1890 influenza pandemic were reported in the United States on December 18, 1889. This triggered the rapid spread of the infection to cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest, and European newspapers such as the Spanish newspaper La Iberia also reported extensively on the "Russian flu" epidemic and government responses at the same time.
19th (11+7 songs)
*This list was listed as December 19th after December 16th and before December 18th.
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March – Semper Fidelis | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Irene | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Air & Var. | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Polka – Gambrinus | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Idalia | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| March – Prelude | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Dancing In The Barn | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Polka Eda | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Czardas | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Waltz Idalia | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Yorke – Sylvia | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
*This list was listed as December 19th after December 18th.
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Rain A Little | Will Lyle |
| Stop That Knocking | Will Lyle |
| Cat Song | Will Lyle |
| The Boarding House | Will Lyle |
| Barn Yard | Will Lyle |
| When Daddy Picked The Old Banjo | Will Lyle |
| When The Sun Sets Back Of The Hill | Will Lyle |
[Events of December 19, 1889]
・A report in Nature magazine on influenza and anesthesia (Nature, Volume 41, Issue 1051)
The London-based scientific journal Nature introduced chloroform as a public health issue in its editorial discussing the influenza epidemic spreading across Europe in its December 19, 1889, issue 1051, volume 41. The same issue also carried news about India's Hyderabad Chloroform Commission, providing a primary historical source for the debate over the safety of anesthesia methods in the late 19th century.
20th (9 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March – King John | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
| Polka – Enterprise | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
| Waltz – Sweet Dream | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
| Yorke Mignon | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
| Waltz – Vision Of Paradise | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
| Yorke – Birds Of Spring | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
| Galop – Always Gay | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
| Waltz – New Paris | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
| Polka – The Lambs | Messrs. Issler Schweinfest |
[Events of December 20, 1889]
・Music Criticism by George Bernard Shaw
British playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) is said to have contributed a musical review titled "Saint John's Eve" to the London evening newspaper The Star on December 20, 1889. This review, one of a series of reviews addressing composer Frederic Hymen Cowen (1852–1935) and others, reveals his sharp and witty perspective on the London music scene of the time.
・Božidar Širola (1889–1956)
Božidar Širola (1889–1956) was a Croatian composer and musicologist known for his collection of folk songs and his research into Croatian music history. Born on December 20, 1889 in Žakanj, then part of Austria-Hungary, he made a significant contribution to the formation of Zagreb's musical culture.
21st (6 songs)
*This listing was listed as December 21st after December 23rd and before December 24th.
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Stop That Knocking | Will Lyle |
| Barnyard | Will Lyle |
| Rattle On The Banjo | Will Lyle |
| Cat Song | Will Lyle |
| Nigger Nigger Never Dies | Will Lyle |
| Lulu Lyle | Will Lyle |
[Events of December 21, 1889]
・Reports of the Russian flu epidemic (UK, Ireland, Wales)
The Welsh-language newspaper Baner ac Amser Cymru and Irish newspapers reported on December 21, 1889, that an influenza epidemic known as the Russian flu was spreading across Britain. Political and social sections discussed concerns about increased absenteeism among working-class and civil servants, as well as the impact the epidemic would have on parliamentary operations and diplomatic events.
23rd (10 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Polka – My Treasure | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Galop – Brilliant | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Yorke – Celia | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Song & Dance | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Polka – Sea Breeze | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Air & Var. | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Polka – Francaise | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Galop – Apollo | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Polka – Karkioka | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Dance of the Owls | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
[Events of December 23, 1889]
・White House Christmas tree coverage
On December 23, 1889, the Waterbury Evening Democrat, a Connecticut newspaper, reported that the first fully decorated Christmas tree was erected inside the White House during the administration of President Benjamin Harrison. The tree was for the Harrison family's children and grandchildren, and is considered the prototype for future White House Christmas celebrations.
24th (12 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Polka – Hazel Dell | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Galop – Toboggan | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Song & Dance | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Polka – My Treasure | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Song Without Words | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Polka – Sea Breeze | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Dance of the Owls | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Polka – Edisonian | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Galop Apollo | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Yorke – Imperial | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Galop – Brilliant | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
| Song – Old Uncle Joe | AT Van Winkle Ed Issler |
[Events of December 24, 1889]
・A Midsummer Christmas Eve in Omaha, Nebraska
On December 24, 1889, the temperature reached a high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit (about 20 degrees Celsius) in Omaha, Nebraska, making it an unusually warm day that newspapers dubbed it a "Midsummer Christmas Eve." The Omaha Daily Bee reported that people were walking around the city without their coats, and that for the poor, the warmth was a "blessing" that eased the suffering caused by the cold.
30th (11 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Puritan March | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Little Gretto | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Russian Ballad & Var. | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Galop – La Gripp | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Song & Dance – The Lady Picking Mulberries | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Visions Of Paradise | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Robin Adair | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| German Ballad | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Polka – Mountain Bells | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Yorke Wanda | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Galop – Pro Tem | Geo F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
[Events of December 30, 1889]
・The peak of the Russian flu pandemic
At the end of 1889, the first wave of the 1889–1890 pandemic, also known as the Russian flu, peaked across Europe, with Barcelona reporting its highest incidence rate around December 20–30. Around December 30, 1889, similar outbreaks began to spread from Madrid and Paris to the eastern United States, marking the early stages of a global influenza pandemic that spread rapidly thanks to modern transportation networks.
31st (11 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| March – Sharpshooters | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Gavotte – Lucille | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| March Warriors Farewell | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Dream After The Ball | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – New Paris | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| [Waltz] Idalia | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Galop – Good Bye '89 | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Yorke – Mignon | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Galop – Electric Club | GF ScG. F. Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| Waltz – Irene | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
| March Hurrah | GF Schweinfest Ed Issler |
[Events that occurred on December 31, 1889]
・Giuseppe Apolloni (1822–1889)
Giuseppe Apolloni (1822–1889) was an Italian composer from Vicenza who wrote around five operas, including "L'ebreo (The Jew)." He died in his hometown of Vicenza on December 31, 1889, and his death was mourned in local newspapers and elsewhere as the end of an era in 19th-century Italian opera.
・Typewriter Improvement Patent Granted
In the United States at the end of the 19th century, patents for typewriter improvements were filed one after another, and on December 31, 1889, a U.S. patent for an improved typewriter was granted by Christopher Latham Sholes (1819–1890) and others. Along with the spread of the QWERTY layout, these patents for improvements in his later years encouraged government offices and businesses to keep typewriters on hand, and helped standardize modern office work.
Summary of information on recordings made in December 1889
Many of the recording events surrounding December 1889 are unclear in terms of the actual recording dates, and are often lumped together as "late 1889 to early 1890." Here, we have selected primary sources that directly refer to December, or recording, technology, and corporate trends that can be dated to "late 1889," in the context of recording history.
Brahms's own wax cylinder recording (Vienna, December 2nd)
On December 2, 1889, at the Villa Fehlinger in Vienna, Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) is said to have composed and performed excerpts from "Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor" and Josef Strauss's polka "Die Libelle" (Op. 204) on an Edison wax cylinder operated by Adelbert Theodor Edward "Theo" Wangemann (1855–1906). This is one of the earliest recordings of the composer's own performance and voice, and is an extremely important session for both the study of late 19th-century performance styles and the history of Edison recording technology.
Additional sessions at the end of Wangemann's European recording tour
After recording Bismarck, Moltke, and others, Adelbert Theodor Edward "Theo" Wangemann (1855–1906) is reported to have continued touring Germany and Austria-Hungary from late autumn to early December 1889, recording on wax cylinders the voices and performances of musicians, government officials, and intellectuals. These year-end sessions, including the Brahms recording, are seen as an important step in the spread of Edison wax cylinder recordings among the European upper classes as a medium for preserving the voices and performances of famous people.
Berliner's "Trick Recording" Gramophone Recording (Berlin, December 14th)
Around December 14, 1889, Emile Berliner (1851–1929) is said to have performed "trick recording" by recording an experimental gramophone disc at a playback speed varying between approximately 50 and 140 rpm, using his own voice to exaggerate the changes in pitch and timbre that occurred with speed. This type of experiment using disc records is often cited in research into the history of recording as the beginnings of later "sound manipulation" using pitch change and playback controls.
https://www.phonozoic.net/phonomanipulation.pdf
"E. BERLINER'S GRAMMOPHON" inscription and early German edition
According to German discography research, the label design inscribed with "E. BERLINER'S GRAMMOPHON" and German patent number "DRP 45048" had become established by the end of 1889, and early German-made gramophone records included recordings of patriotic songs such as "Ich bin ein Preusse" (I am a Prussian). These records are considered important as evidence of the period when Berliner-style disc recordings began to take concrete shape as commercial products in the European market.
Nickel-in-the-Slot Phonograph begins commercial operation (San Francisco, December onwards)
Louis T. Glass (1845–1924) and William S. Arnold (dates of birth and death unknown) installed a coin-operated phonograph at the Palais Royal Saloon in San Francisco in November 1889, and reported that they generated a total of over $4,000 in sales from 15 machines over the approximately six months from December 1889 to May 1890. One of the most well-known popular song recordings played there was "Down Went McGinty: song and chorus," and this is considered to be the beginning of the practical business model of selling recorded music via coin insertion.
Preparation of phonograph exhibition equipment for Yokohama and Shanghai (Letter dated December 2, New York)
In a letter dated December 2, 1889, merchant Everett Frazar (1834–1901) requested Alfred Ord Tate (1857–1928) to prepare nine "phono spectacle attachments" for Yokohama and three for Shanghai, along with a new foot-operated machine. This was indicative of a plan to use existing recording cylinders in performances and demonstrations at bases in East Asia while clearing out inventory, indicating that show business combining pre-recorded software and machinery had already taken shape by the end of 1889.
Dutch "Edison Phonograph Company" concept and rental business (Rotterdam, December 21st report)
An article in the Dutch newspaper Rotterdamer Nieuwsblatt dated December 21, 1889, reported on a plan by the Edison Phonograaf Company (Edison Phonograaf Maatschappij) to rent out phonographs for a yearly fee for wide-ranging use in language education, academic research, business correspondence, readings, theater, and more. This was an important development at the end of 1889, indicating that a business model was being considered in Europe as well, in which expensive recording and playback machines were made available on a rental basis rather than purchased, and pre-recorded cylinders were supplied to a wide range of sectors.
https://demodernetijd.nl/wp-content/uploads/DNE-2016-4d-Verhoogt.pdf
https://demodernetijd.nl/wp-content/uploads/DNE-2016-4b-Dresen.pdf
