1910年12月に録音された音楽

Music recorded in December 1910

December 1910 was a month of great change in the world of politics, science, technology, culture, and society. A general election was held in the UK that December, resulting in a close contest again between the Liberal Party led by Herbert Henry Asquith (1852–1928) and the Conservative Party, sparking a constitutional crisis that led to the Act of Parliament the following year in 1911. On December 10, the Nobel Prize ceremony was held in Stockholm, honoring the achievements of Johannes Diderik van der Waals (1837–1923), Otto Wallach (1847–1931), Paul Heyse (1830–1914), and others. On the same day, Giacomo Puccini's (1858–1924) La Décima del West premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, sparking international cultural interest with this new opera set in America. In France, Georges Claude (1870–1960) unveiled neon lighting, marking the beginning of a new technology that would transform urban nightscapes and advertising culture. Meanwhile, in Mexico, a revolutionary movement led by Francisco I. Madero (1873–1913) continued into the end of the year, further destabilizing the regime of Porfirio Díaz (1830–1915). Furthermore, the spread of pneumonic plague in northeastern China, which began in late 1910, brought a strong international awareness of the need for modern disease prevention systems.

Confirmed recordings this month: 0

Summary of information on recordings made in December 1910

In December 1910, the recording industry was not only focused on immediate sales for the holiday season, but also on the announcement of new releases with an eye toward their market launch early the following year, the expansion of foreign-language repertoire, and the redesign of the distribution system. A look at the December 1910 issue of the National Phonograph Company's magazine, Edison Phonograph Monthly, reveals a series of overlapping initiatives, including the addition of new domestic singers, Amberol recordings of German songs, the continued supply of foreign-language recordings, and system reforms, including the disposal of defective and backlogged recordings. This confirms that the end of 1910 was not simply a year-end sales period, but also a turning point for establishing a recording sales system for 1911.

Announcement of new domestic recording team

The cover and table of contents of the December 1910 issue highlight Elizabeth Spencer (1871–1930), Frank Ormsby (years of birth and death unknown), Berrick von Norden (years of birth and death unknown), Reinald Werrenrath (1883–1953), and the Weber Male Quartet as new domestic recordings that would become the core of the new catalogue at the beginning of the following year. This was not a one-off introduction of new artists, but rather part of the creation of a system to continuously support English-speaking song and choral works, and it was an important move to strengthen the domestic catalogue in preparation for 1911.

Alexander Heinemann's Amberol recordings

The December 1910 issue announced the acquisition of eight Amberol recordings for German song singer Alexander Heinemann (dates of birth and death unknown). The repertoire included "Die Uhr," "Litanei," and "Heinrich der Vogler," all with orchestral accompaniment. This project, which aimed to record singers on tour in the United States and meet demand in German-speaking countries, clearly demonstrates that expanding the foreign-language recording market remained an important sales strategy even at the end of 1910.

Renewal of the record exchange system at the end of 1910

A sales department notice dated December 31, 1910, announced that a new record exchange system would be implemented from January 1, 1911, covering late-selling items, surplus stock, cutouts, and defective records. This was also reviewed in the following 1911 issue as one of the major achievements of 1910, indicating that not only the production of recordings themselves but also the distribution system supporting inventory circulation and continued sales had been redesigned by the end of the year. It is important to note that the expansion of recording culture was linked not only to the addition of performers and works, but also to the establishment of an exchange and replenishment system.

Continuing to organize foreign language recordings and peripheral recording equipment

The December 1910 issue's table of contents includes "Edison Bohemian Records," "Foreign Supplement for December, 1910," and "Recording Horns Obsolete." While there is limited information available to determine the full details of the main text, we can confirm that even at the end of the year, the supply of foreign language recordings, including Bohemian recordings, and the streamlining of peripheral equipment such as recording horns were proceeding simultaneously. This evidence indicates that recording culture was expanding not only with the addition of new works and singers, but also with the need to cater to multilingual markets and the revision of recording and playback systems.

November 1910

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