Birds Festival Waltz / Frank Goede (1889)
The title "Birds Festival Waltz" remains in the records of a recording experiment conducted by A. Theo. E. Wangemann, a recording engineer at the Edison Company, in Berlin on May 24, 1889. This recording is listed in "The First Book of Phonograph Records," but no details such as the composer's name or publisher have been confirmed. The recording book from that time only lists "Birds festival waltz," and the only information available is the performance date and cylinder number. In other words, there is no clear, specific published score for this piece, and no specific scores or audio sources remain. However, it is known as a historical fact that many short pieces and waltzes with a "bird" theme were composed in the West in the late 19th century, and it was popular to play melodies imitating nature on the piccolo or flute. Therefore, it is highly likely that this "Birds Festival Waltz" was also an example of a bird imitation piece for salons at that time.
Estimating the character and structure of a piece
Since the actual melody and development of this recording cannot be confirmed, it is not possible to say exactly what the structure of the piece is. However, it is possible to make some guesses based on the general trends of similar "bird waltzes" and "bird motif pieces" of the time. Many 19th century bird-themed pieces began with a gentle, short waltz theme, and then inserted trills or high-pitched ornaments imitating bird songs in the middle. The opening melody was then reproduced at the end, and the whole piece generally concluded as a small dance lasting about 2 to 4 minutes. It is assumed that "Birds Festival Waltz" was also performed in a similar way, combining a short melody and bird imitation. However, this is merely a general theory based on the trends in published scores and recordings at the time, and it should be made clear that no scores or recordings of this piece itself remain. Although the recording book does not specify "picc. (piccolo)," there are many piccolo recordings from the same day, so it is likely that a similar high-pitched instrument was used for the performance.
Its role in recording experiments and its current meaning
"Birds Festival Waltz" was performed as part of a recording experiment to demonstrate the performance of Edison's wax cylinder phonograph. Since the recording equipment at the time was not yet capable of reproducing low tones sufficiently, recordings using piccolos and flutes, which clearly engraved high-pitched melodies, were ideal for technical demonstrations. In particular, sounds imitating bird songs made it easy for the audience to experience the effects of recording and playback, making it very suitable for demonstrations to royalty, aristocrats, and technical professionals. "Birds Festival Waltz" was recorded on the same day as Gilmore's 22nd Regiment March and The Warbler, and it is thought that the purpose of comparing different genres such as marches, dances, and imitation songs was to demonstrate the diversity of recording technology. This recording was never commercially distributed, and the wax cylinder no longer remains, so the sound source cannot be directly confirmed today. However, the title "Birds Festival Waltz" that remains in the recording book is considered an important clue in the study of recording history, as it is an example of a short waltz with a nature motif being used for recording tests at the end of the 19th century. Because no recording remains, this recording is a valuable source of evidence for what musical genres were chosen for technical testing in early recording experiments, and its influence on later commercial cylinder music and home phonograph repertoires has also been studied.
