Music recorded in 1890

Music recorded in 1890

The year 1890 saw the passage of the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, both named after John Sherman (1823–1900), in the United States; the admission of Idaho and Wyoming to statehood; the first general election for Japan's House of Representatives and the opening of the Imperial Diet; and the Wounded Knee Massacre, which effectively ended the American Indian Wars. It was a year in which the contradictions between the expansion of industrial capitalism and imperialism and national integration suddenly erupted.

In the fields of science and culture, in addition to modern scientific and environmental conservation movements such as Herman Hollerith's (1860–1929) punch card tabulating machine for the U.S. census, Clément Ader's (1841–1925) powered flight experiments, and the designation of Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, there were also the premiere of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's (1840–1893) ballet The Sleeping Beauty, the first cylinder recording by a black artist by George W. Johnson (c. 1850–1914), and the exhibition of Vincent van Gogh's works in Auvers-sur-Oise. The period coincided with the final years of his career and the death of the composer (1853–1890), and saw the rise of 20th-century music recording culture and modern art trends.

In 1890, Jesse Walter Fewkes (1850–1930) made field recordings (wax cylinders) of the Passamaquoddy and Zuni Indians, among others, and these “Passamaquoddy Indians field recordings” are registered in the National Recording Registry.

Confirmed recordings from this year: 105

Music believed to have been recorded in 1890 (date unknown)

Both recordings are commercial Gramophone discs, marked only with "Year Recorded: 1890," but the exact date is unknown. They correspond to tracks 1 and 2 on CD1 of "Waxing the Gospel."

Title	Artist
The Lord's Prayer	Emile Berliner
In the Sweet By and By	n/a

These are very early religious recordings, recorded not on Edison cylinders but on Emile Berliner's (1851–1929) flat disc gramophone. The recordings are presumed to have been made in the Washington, D.C. area, but primary sources only list the year as "1890," and the specific date is unknown.

Music presumed to be recorded in 1890 (ca. 1890)

Title	Artist
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star	Emile Berliner
The Whistling Coon	George W. Johnson
The Laughing Song	George W. Johnson

These three pieces are believed to have been recorded around 1890 (date unknown), making up a small set that showcases the differences in recording method - disc recording (Berliner) and wax cylinder (Johnson) - within the same year. The set includes short, standard nursery rhymes alongside stage performances featuring singing and vocal talent (whistling/laughter), suggesting that early recordings were expanding in both the "family" and "vaudeville" directions.

Sound sources with a clearly stated "estimated recording year range (xx-xx)" including 1890

Title	Artist
Di quella pira	Dmitry Andreevich Usatov
La Media Noche	United States Marine Band
An Irishman's Perplexity	Mrs. McCormick
The Third Verse of Mary and John, or, The Lovers' Quarrel	Will White

These four pieces are a microcosm of early recordings spanning the 1890-1891 period, demonstrating that recordings at the time had already expanded into many genres, including opera soloists, military bands (instrumental), and entertainment recordings (monologues/skits). Even within the same time span, there is a mix of media and distribution (high-end Bettini cylinders, entertainment recordings for the general public, etc.), suggesting a period in which the recording industry simultaneously fostered both the preservation of the arts and popular consumption.

Discography of Etching the Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Records

These recordings are included in the discography of "Etching the Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Records," a collection of Berliner's early commercial recordings, and the recording years are all listed as "1890-95."

Title	Artist
Alfred Jones [version 2]	n/a
Auld Lang Syne	n/a
Blue Bells of Scotland	n/a
By thy cold breast (Byron's “Manfred”)	n/a
Czarenlied, from “Czar und Zimmermann”	n/a
El Credo	n/a
Father William	n/a
The Flowers that Bloom, from “The Mikado”	n/a
Fra Diavolo	n/a
Gesänge	n/a
God Bless the Prince of Wales	n/a
God Save the Queen!	n/a
Gramophone	n/a
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing	n/a
Hobellied	n/a
Home! Sweet Home!	n/a
I Due Ladri e l'Asino	n/a
In the Sweet By-and-By	n/a
Jägers Abschied	n/a
La Boiteuse	n/a
La Marseillaise	n/a
La Rondinella	n/a
Le Corbeau and le Renard	n/a
Le Père la Victoire	n/a
Lena, la bella Lena	n/a
A Little Ship Was on the Sea	n/a
Long, Long Ago	n/a
Me Gustan Todas / Aroro Mi Nena	n/a
The North Wind	n/a
Numeri, La Settimana, Le Mesi	n/a
Numeros, Dias, Meses	n/a
Old King Coal	n/a
Old Mother Hubbard	n/a
Pilgrims' Chorus, from ’Tannhäuser“	n/a
Proverbs	n/a
Rule, Britain!	n/a
Sing a Song of Sixpence / Oh, Carry Me Back	n/a
Sing a Song of Sixpence [3-in doll disc]	n/a
Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!	n/a
Versos y Canto	n/a
We don't want to fight [version 2]	n/a
Whist! The Bogie Man	n/a
Who Killed Cock Robin?	n/a
Willow Tit-Willow, “from The Mikado”	n/a
Wot Cher!	n/a

These are the earliest Gramophone discs, thought to have been recorded mainly in London and Hanover, and are a core group of sound sources from the "disc side of the 1890s," a lineage separate from the Edison cylinder lineage.

Gruo's "phonogramic album" (c. 1888–1891)

The Gruaud "phonogramic album" (c. 1888–1891) is a collective term used to refer to the earliest wax cylinder recordings made by George Edward Gouraud (1842–1912) in London and other parts of Europe, as well as his concept of an album compiling "the voices of the world's greatest men." MOPM has organized related recordings from around 1888–1891 under this framework, and has posted a list of the recordings and background information on a dedicated page.

Gruo's "phonogramic album" (c. 1888–1891)

Gruo's "phonogramic album" (c. 1888–1891)

museum-of-pop-music.com

Ruben Collection

The Ruben Collection (Ruben-samlingen) is a collection of Denmark's earliest wax cylinder recordings, produced in Copenhagen by Gottfried Moses Ruben (1837–1897) between 1889 and the mid-1890s. MOPM has collectively organized the wax cylinder recordings made between 1889 and the mid-1890s as the "Ruben Collection," and has posted a list of the recordings on a dedicated page.

Ruben-samlingen

This is a list of the Ruben Collection (Ruben-samlingen)

museum-of-pop-music.com

Songs recorded in the 1890s, but the year is unknown (Release year: 189- / 189-?)

This list compiles recordings that can be determined to be from the 1890s (1890-1899), regardless of the source, but for which the year (1890-1899) cannot be determined. To prevent duplication, recordings of songs with the same title are treated as separate records, and are listed based on sources where the release year is written as "189-", "189-?", etc.

Title	Artist
“Thoughts of home” polka played by Issler's Orchestra	Issler's Orchestra
Baritone vocal solo by Carmi Vaughn	Carmi Vaughn
Choral music	Vaughn family members
Mandolin and guitar duet: Dixie and Yankee Doodle	Paul Kline Arthur Vaughn
Gems of Ireland quadrille	Banta's Popular Orchestra
Dancing in the kitchen	Banta's Orchestra
Angel's serenata (Serenata)	Metropolitan Orchestra
St. Patrick's Day	J.W. Gulley
La fille de Madame Ohngo (Fille de Madame Angot) [quadrille]	n/a
[Waltz music]	n/a
Sambre et Meuse	n/a
Fille du régiment［Selections; arranged］	n/a
Deacon went astray	Dan W. Quinn
Just say goodbye again	George Gaskin
Cross roads of life	Herbert Holcomb
Palms	Herbert Holcomb
La-didily-idily-umti-umti-ay	Dan W. Quinn
Gayest Manhattan march	Ruby Brooks
Carnival of Venice	Charles P. Lowe
Whisper your mother's name	Dan W. Quinn
And the parrot said	Dan W. Quinn
Salley in our alley	n/a
[Vocal solo, with organ accompaniment]	Grace Marvin
[Vocal solo: “Tyrolienne comedie”]	Bravo Messieur Victor Lejal
[Unidentified male vocal solo]	n/a
［Brown wax home recording of Selections from Spring Song］	Brunswick Orchestra
[Brown wax home recording of Two step–Brunswick flyer]	Brunswick Orchestra
[Banjo solo by unidentified performer of unidentified selection]	n/a
[Banjo solo (title unknown)]	n/a
[Trovatore. Miserere]	Cornet and euphonium duet
My silly old tune	Edison Male Quartet
Playing on the golden harp	Len Spencer

The above list is a comprehensive compilation of all recordings that are proven to have been made in the 1890s, even if the definitive year is unknown. We will continue to scrutinize new materials as they are discovered and existing materials are updated, and will update the list as necessary, prioritizing the elimination of duplications and the prevention of omissions.