35000 series

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

The 35000 series is a number range within the Amberol Series (Cylinder: 4-minute wax) of Edison, organized as the "Amberol Grand Opera Records ($1.50 series)" within the "Amberol Concert and Grand Opera Series." In UCSB's discography, it is treated as part of the Edison Amberol 28000/30000/35000/40000 series, with 35000–35021 corresponding to this series.

This series is described as a reissue/renumbering of part of the Amberol "B" Series (Amb B numbers) that was in use from the end of 1909 onwards, in line with the reorganization by price range around 1910. Therefore, the same recording may be referenced by both a B number and a 35000 number, making this series a concrete example of the systematization of the Grand Opera line.

Series Overview

The 35000 series, as listed in the catalog, spans the period from May 1910 to March 1911. Many of the items are noted as being reissues from the Amb B series, confirming that the $1.50 range aggregates Grand Opera repertoire recorded around 1909–1910.

Therefore, the 35000 series is positioned as a sub-series that was created by renumbering existing recording assets and streamlining the sales system, rather than being a series consisting only of new recordings from a specific period.

https://adp-assets.library.ucsb.edu/edison_4m-cyls.pdf

Series Features

First, the 35000 series is positioned as the core of Grand Opera Amberol's price range, between $1.00 (30000) and $2.00 (40000). The price range setting indicates a catalog operation that presents multiple ranges rather than treating the same Grand Opera frame uniformly.

Secondly, the recordings are centered on vocal music such as opera arias, with many of them accompanied by orchestras. Furthermore, there is a tendency to arrange multiple recordings of the same singer together, suggesting that this is a series in which the repertoire is organized around the performer's name.

https://adp-assets.library.ucsb.edu/edison_4m-cyls.pdf

Numbering system and price range

Edison's quarter-minute Amberol (wax) was initially sold under the Amb B number, but some of the Grand Opera series were reorganized around 1910 into Concert (75 cents) and Grand Opera (1.00 per ticket for 4 taiwan, 1.50 per ticket for 4 taiwan, and 2.00 per ticket for 4 taiwan). These price range blocks were established: 30,000 (1.00 per ticket for 4 taiwan), 35,000 (1.50 per ticket for 4 taiwan), and 40,000 (2.00 per ticket for 4 taiwan), with the 35,000 series positioned as a Grand Opera in the 1.50 per ticket for 4 taiwan range.

This classification not only changes the numbering system, but also indicates a mechanism for dividing works of the same genre (Grand Opera) into price ranges and using them as units of presentation in the catalog.

Recorded repertoire and performer trends

The 35000 series focuses on vocal music (opera arias) and tends to feature multiple performances of a particular singer. For example, Blanche Arral (1864–1945), Selma Kurz (1874–1933), Maria Galvany (1878?–1927), and Maria Labia (1880–1953) are listed under multiple entries.

There are also examples of duets featuring Aristodemo Giorgini (1877–1937) and Oreste Benedetti (1873–1945), and while the works are primarily vocal, they are also notable for a certain degree of versatility in the arrangements.

Recording locations and supply formats

The 35000 series features both New York and London recordings, incorporating European recordings in addition to American recordings. The UCSB discography also lists each item as having its recording location (NY/London), confirming that the Grand Opera line was organized with the assumption that recordings from multiple locations would be available.

This characteristic shows that Edison, at the same time, was incorporating the diversification of recording locations in establishing the 4-minute Amberol Grand Opera format as a "group by price range."

https://adp-assets.library.ucsb.edu/edison_4m-cyls.pdf

Product Design and Packaging

In contemporary documents, Grand Opera Amberol is listed separately from the regular Amberol, and is presented as a high-end line with clearly indicated price ranges. The 35000 series was grouped into the $1.50 range, forming a "sales unit" where price classification and numbering system were linked.

In this respect, the 35000 series can be understood as a series established by catalog divisions (Grand Opera/price range/number range) rather than by classification of recording content.

https://adp-assets.library.ucsb.edu/edison_4m-cyls.pdf

Re-release and succession to successor media

The discography shows that some of the 35000 series were later re-released on Blue Amberol (celluloid), allowing us to specifically trace the path that the Grand Opera repertoire from the wax Amberol era was passed on to the concert/grand opera range of Blue Amberol, which developed from the end of 1912 onwards.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons, CC0

This move to "transfer repertoire in line with changes in media" was a rational strategy for Edison to prolong the life of its cylindrical disc business, and the 35000 series was important as one of the "transferred" devices.

The historical significance of the series

The 35000 series is a numbering range that represents the systematization of the Grand Opera line during the quarter-minute wax Amberol period, specifically showing the transition from Amb B numbers to price-based blocks (30000/35000/40000). The traces of reissue/renumbering confirm that Edison's catalog operation was updated through the "reallocation of recording assets."

Furthermore, examples of re-releases on the successor medium, Blue Amberol, can be found, allowing us to trace the fact that the same repertoire was circulated across medium updates, making this a valuable documentary point that connects the history of the series and the medium.