historyThe Public Domain Review1888 · London
An 1888 Handel choir recording was the oldest known human voice until 2009
In June 1888, at the Crystal Palace in London, a chorus of about 4,000 singers performed Handel's oratorio Israel in Egypt. Edison's agent George Gouraud recorded it on a phonograph cylinder placed more than 100 yards away from the singers. Until 2009, when a much older recording was identified, it was the oldest known recording of the human voice. The conductor was August Manns. The recording was made only days after the death of German Emperor Friedrich III.
Edison's phonograph cut grooves into a wax cylinder with a diaphragm and stylus, so sound waves were physically carved into the surface and could be played back. Recording a large chorus at a distance was possible because the horn gathered enough sound to move the diaphragm.
The recording shows how early sound technology captured large performances long before recorded music became common. It is a rare survivor from the first decade of commercial sound recording.
background
Israel in Egypt, HWV 54, is a biblical oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. Most scholars believe the libretto was prepared by Charles Jennens, who also compiled the biblical texts for Handel's Messiah. It is composed entirely of selected passages from the Old Testament, mainly from Exodus and the Psalms.
Israel in Egypt premiered at London's King's Theatre in the Haymarket on April 4, 1739 with Élisabeth Duparc "La Francesina", William Savage, John Beard, Turner Robinson, Gustavus Waltz, and Thomas Reinhold. Handel started it soon after the opera season at King's Theatre was cancelled for lack of subscribers. The oratorio was not well received by the first audience though commended in the Daily Post; the second performance was shortened, the mainly choral work now augmented with Italian-style arias.
From Wikipedia: Israel in Egypt (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗
Image: The Public Domain Review
