Music recorded in March 1920

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Music recorded in March 1920

March 1920 was a month of upheaval in the post-World War I order. On March 1, Miklós Horthy (1868–1957) was elected regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, and the reorganization of the old monarchy progressed. On March 8, the Syrian National Congress declared the independence of the Arab Kingdom of Syria and elected Faisal I (1885–1933) as king. In Germany, the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch, led by Wolfgang Kapp (1858–1922), took place from March 13 to 17, but collapsed due to a general strike, exposing the instability of the Weimar Republic. On March 19, the United States Senate ultimately did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles, making Denmark's non-participation in the League of Nations inevitable. On March 26, Francis Scott Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise" was published, and on March 28, the 1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak struck the United States, causing significant damage. Furthermore, on March 29, Christian X (1870–1947) dismissed the cabinet of Carl Theodor Zahle (1866–1946), marking the beginning of Denmark's Easter Crisis.

Confirmed recordings this month: 0

Summary of information regarding recordings from March 1920

Recording-related documents from March 1920 show that companies were not all moving in the same direction; different methods were being employed in parallel, such as presenting reproduced sounds accompanied by live performances, releasing new albums monthly, and strengthening their distribution network. Looking only at companies whose activities for that month can be directly confirmed from the documents, Thomas A. Edison, Inc. was promoting large-scale public events combining live performances and reproduced sounds, Victor Talking Machine Co. was releasing vocal albums for March, and Sonora Phonograph Corporation was emphasizing retail value and advertising support. The following is a summary limited to what can be confirmed from the documents for that month.

Edison

On March 10, 1920, Thomas A. Edison, Inc. held a performance at Carnegie Hall featuring Anna Case (1888–1984), combining her singing with reproductions of Edison's sounds. Furthermore, the March 15, 1920 issue of "The Talking Machine World" reported that Edison's wholesalers had launched their spring campaign, confirming that the company was conducting both stage performances and distribution promotions in parallel during March.

Victor

Regarding Victor Talking Machine Co., the February 15, 1920 issue of "The Talking Machine World" features a "Popular Vocal Selections" list for March, confirming that they were releasing vocal records for March as a monthly replenishment. While we cannot confirm any large-scale performances or sales meetings held in March based on our current research, announcements of new releases for March can be found in contemporary industry documents.

Sonora

The March 15, 1920 issue of "The Talking Machine World" highlighted the increasing value of Sonora's distributors and the need for advertising support in response to growing demand. Therefore, it can be concluded that in March, the company focused more on expanding its sales network and strengthening its retail sales capabilities than on announcing new recordings.

Columbia

The March 1920 issue of "The Talking Machine World" of Columbia Graphophone Co. mentions that O.F. Benz (dates of birth and death unknown), from the general sales division, visited Columbia-related contacts on the West Coast, confirming that the company was continuing its sales activities by visiting branches and sales networks that month. The same March issue also shows that Peffer Music Co. in Stockton, California, was using the music section of a local newspaper as a distributor of Columbia products, indicating that Columbia's distribution channels were linked to newspaper advertisements in local cities as early as March 1920.

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