Music recorded in January 1890
January 1890 was a month in which imperialist competition intensified, with Italy officially establishing Eritrea as its first colony in Africa and Britain issuing the Anglo-Portuguese Ultimatum of 1890, which forced Portugal to withdraw from the African interior. At the same time, the influenza pandemic known as the "Russian flu" reached its peak in deaths in the United States and other countries.
At the same time, a series of events symbolizing modern society occurred in politics, labor movements, journalism, sports, and the performing arts, including Alice B. Sanger (1864–1941) becoming the first female staff member in the White House, the formation of the United Mine Workers of America, a national organization of coal miners, Nellie Bly's (1864–1922) circumnavigation of the world, Thomas William “Torpedo Billy” Murphy (1862–1939) winning the world featherweight championship, and the premiere of Tchaikovsky's (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1840–1893) ballet, The Sleeping Beauty.
Confirmed recordings this month: 51
14th (12 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Everybody's Darling | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| The Song That Reached My Heart | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| The Monastery Bells | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| Daughter Of Love Waltzes | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| Golden Hours Song & Dance | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| Erminie Waltz | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| Bay State Commandery | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| The Night Alarm | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| The Old Oaken Bucket | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| Tube Rose Waltzes | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| Sounds of Home Waltz | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
| American Airways | Duffy & Imgrund Band |
[Events of January 14, 1890]
・Johann Joseph Ignaz von Döllinger (1799–1890)
Johann Ignaz von Döllinger (1799–1890) was a Catholic theologian and church historian who died on January 14, 1890, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire. He opposed the doctrine of papal infallibility and exerted ideological influence on the formation of the Catholic Church Restoration, making him a symbol of the conflict between the authority of the 19th-century Catholic Church and modern thought.
*The date of death varies depending on the source.
16th (14 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Everybody's Darling | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| The Beggar Student | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Mikado Selection | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Monastery Bells | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Monastery Bells | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Old Oaken Bucket | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| American Airways | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Selection Erminie | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Golden Hours | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Oneida March | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Oneida March | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Song and Dance | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Society York (I) | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
| Society York (I) | Duffy and Imgrunds Band |
[Events of January 16, 1890]
・Edna Francis Disney (1890–1984)
Edna Francis Disney (1890–1984) was born in Leeds, Kansas, USA. She later married Roy O. Disney, Walt Disney's older brother and co-founder. As an artist and philanthropist, she supported the Walt Disney Company from its early days through its growth, and was later recognized as a Disney Legend.
・Rosita Forbes (1890–1967)
Travel writer Rosita Forbes (1890–1967) was born in Riseholme Hall, Lincolnshire, England. She is known for her book The Secret of the Sahara: Kufara, an account of her visit to Kufra, deep in the Sahara Desert, and became a symbol of the Orientalism and adventure boom as a female explorer and travel writer in the first half of the 20th century.
17th (8 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Psalms [Palms?] Branches – Song | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| The Palm Tree | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Dancing In The Barn | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Anna – Polka | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Old Folks At Home | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Hartman's Favorite | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Jamie Dear | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Casta Diva | DB Dana Ed Issler |
[Events of January 17, 1890]
・Salomon Sulzer (1804–1890)
Salomon Sulzer (1804–1890), the cantor and composer who modernized synagogue music in Vienna, Austria, has passed away. His masterpiece, Shir Tziyyon, is considered a groundbreaking work that systematized synagogue chanting, choral singing, and congregational responses, and his style continues to be used in synagogue worship music in Vienna and throughout Europe and the United States.
・Premiere of Zieler's waltz "Natursenger"
On January 17, 1890, Austrian composer Karl Michael Ziehrer's (1843–1922) waltz "Natursänger" (Op. 415) premiered at a military band concert at Vienna's Harmoniesaal. As its title, "Nature Singers," suggests, the work features melodies reminiscent of birdsong and the hustle and bustle of the outdoors, and it gained popularity as a salon waltz that was part of the lineage of Viennese dance music following Johann Strauss II.
・Yuri Fayer (1890–1971)
Ballet conductor Yuri Fayer (1890–1971) was born in Kyiv (now Ukraine), part of the Russian Empire. As the principal conductor of the ballet department of the Bolshoi Theatre, he staged and premiered numerous ballets, including Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and Prokofiev's Cinderella, and supported the golden age of Soviet ballet music.
18th (7 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Little Fisher Maiden | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Love's Dreamland Waltz | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Song – Only To See Her Face | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Emily Polka | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| The Trovatore | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Waltz Sweet 16 | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Song – That I Alone Can Know | DB Dana Ed Issler |
[Events of January 18, 1890]
・"Plain English!" published in the satirical weekly magazine Punch
Sir John Tenniel's (1820-1914) cartoon "Plain English!" appeared in the January 18, 1890, issue of the British satirical weekly magazine Punch (also known as the London Charivari). This image, set against the backdrop of the Anglo-Portuguese conflict of 1890 (Britain's hard-line policy toward Portugal), has been referenced in subsequent research.
20th (10 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Ave Maria | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Goblet Song | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Ave Maria | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| The Song That Reached My Heart | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Waltz – White Rose | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Culver Polka | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Maritana No. 1 | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Maritana No. 2 | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Killarney | DB Dana Ed Issler |
| Levy Athen Polka | DB Dana Ed Issler |
[Events of January 20, 1890]
・Colin O'More (1890–1956)
Colin O'More (1890–1956) was born.
He worked as a singer and music educator, and is said to have been involved in the early days of broadcasting.
・Franz Paul Lachner (1803–1890)
Franz Paul Lachner (1803–1890) has passed away.
He was a 19th-century German composer and conductor, and one of the most influential figures in the music world of his time.
Summary of information on recordings made in January 1890
Regarding developments surrounding recording in January 1890, while a system for distributing sound recordings (cylinder records) as a commodity was being established in various places, there were also many cases where private or experimental recordings only had a range of dates recorded. Here, we will examine the recordings (confirmed/confirmed within the month/estimated) directly linked to January 1890, and the supply and operational trends that supported those recordings, in the context of the history of sound recording.
Sales of cylinder recordings and handling of recording personnel (letter dated January 6, 1890)
In a letter dated January 6, 1890, Edison's side treats "cylinder recordings" and "recording artists" as the same business. This is a clue that recordings were managed as "field personnel/sales matters."
North American Phonograph Company Publication: Treatment of Cylinder Recordings (January 17, 1890)
The publication, dated January 17, 1890, by North American Phonograph Co., confirms that cylinder phonographs and cylinder recordings were "subjects of public circulation and discussion." The fact that it is included in a series of litigation documents also indicates that the recording business was linked to institutional aspects.
Inside Edison: Overseas Operations and the Cylinder Phonograph (Letter dated January 21, 1890)
Dated January 21, 1890, Edison sent a letter to Edison Phonograph Works regarding international business operations and cylinder phonographs. This document shows that overseas maintenance and sales were beginning to take hold along with the supply of recordings.
Inside Edison: Cylinder Recording as an International Project (Letter dated January 23, 1890)
A letter from Edison dated January 23, 1890, mentions both "international business operations" and "cylinder recordings," indicating that recordings were not for "domestic entertainment" but were instead treated as subject to export, contract, and distribution.
Inside Edison: Cylinder Recording as a Manufacturing Adjustment (Letter dated January 23, 1890)
In another letter dated January 23, 1890, "Manufacturing" and "Cylinder Recordings" are listed together, indicating that recording cylinders were managed as "manufactured items that required mass production and adjustment."
Inside Edison: Production Difficulties, Labor, and Cylinder Recording (Letter dated January 25, 1890)
A letter dated January 25, 1890, by Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931) discusses "cylinder recordings" alongside issues of labor, production adjustments, and the competitive environment. This document shows that recordings had become a mass-produced product with operational bottlenecks, rather than a source of research material.
Inside Edison: Finances, International Business, and Cylinder Recording (Letter dated January 28, 1890)
Dated January 28, 1890, cylinder recordings are included in addition to overseas business and loans. This shows that the recording business was becoming inseparable from "equipment, inventory, and export funds."
Private recordings in Moscow: Tchaikovsky and other musicians' vocal fragments (around January 16-22, 1890)
Julius Block's (1858–1934) cylinder (Block C283) is classified as a private recording made in Moscow in January 1890 (around the 16th–22nd). It mainly consists of fragments in which Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) and others "playfully added their voices," making it a valuable "snapshot of the voice" from before the first performance recordings.
Bullock Letter: Recent Developments in Cylinder Recording in Europe (dated January 9, 1890)
Dated January 9, 1890, Julius Block (1858–1934) sent a letter to Charles Batchelor (1845–1910) regarding music, cylinder gramophones, and cylinder recordings. This letter provides primary contemporary evidence of Block's activities, which would later be recognized as some of the earliest private cylinder recordings.
