Music recorded in March 1897

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Music recorded in March 1897

March 1897 was a month of simultaneous political, technological, and cultural developments. On March 4, 1897, William McKinley (1843–1901) was inaugurated as President of the United States, marking a change of administration. In the field of communications, Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937) began the application process for wireless telegraphy, strengthening the momentum toward the practical application of long-distance communications. In the performing arts, Vincent d'Indy's (1851–1931) opera premiered in Brussels on March 12, 1897, signaling a fin-de-siècle artistic trend. On March 17, 1897, a world boxing match was held in Carson City, Nevada, and the event was recorded as a long-form film, visualizing the connection between entertainment and recording technology. In international relations, the reconciliation of the interests of the great powers continued, with an agreement on border issues surrounding the Ethiopian Empire being signed on March 20, 1897. On the musical front, excerpts from Gustav Mahler's (1860–1911) Symphony No. 3 were performed in Berlin, and large-scale contemporary works began to appear before audiences.

Confirmed recordings this month: 0

Summary of information on recordings made in March 1897

March 1897 marks a time when not only was sound recording itself a focus, but also the development of communication technologies that would later have an impact on the recording, broadcasting, and record industries, as well as the international expansion of businesses related to recording media. Below, we will organize topics related to sound recording (and the history of recording media, which is closely related to the history of sound recording).

Accident sound reenactment recording using wax cylinder (Australia)

There is a known example of a re-enactment recording on a wax cylinder by Thomas Rome (date of birth and death unknown) of the railway derailment that occurred on March 11, 1897 (between Allnsford and Warrnambool). Performers created the sounds of the train departing and the derailment, and the event was preserved and presented as a "sound drama."

Emile Berliner's overseas expansion and the expansion of the disc record business

In the business of disc records and gramophones, it is recorded that Emile Berliner (1851–1929) dispatched William Barry Owen (date of birth and death unknown) to England in 1897 to solidify overseas expansion. Because the spread of disc records progressed in conjunction with the establishment of bases in each region, this movement was important in forming the foundation for the "industrial distribution of recorded materials."

The patent process for wireless telegraphy and the foundations for future voice transmission

Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937) is said to have submitted the complete specifications for a patent for wireless telegraphy on March 2, 1897. While this is not directly a "recording," it is an important precursor to the history of sound recording, as it was a step that later led to the technological foundation for broadcasting and communications, which could transmit sound over long distances.

Video recording of large-scale performances and the commercialization of recording media

The match between James J. Corbett (1866–1933) and Bob Fitzsimmons (1863–1917) held in Carson City, Nevada on March 17, 1897, was recorded as a full-length video by Enoch J. Rector (1863–1957). Though it was silent, the idea of monetizing a "one-off event" by copying and screening it is noteworthy as a commercial logic shared with the sound recording business of the same era.

February 1897
1897 TOP
April 1897
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