The Oldest Euphonium Recording

[DelVento]

I was just wondering what the oldest euphonium recording (record, lip, whatever) was of solo euphonium.

I know some people say that Droste's albums were the first...but is this accurate?

Thanks,

John

[davewerden]

Not even close. Quite a while before Droste's album (in the '70s) came Leonard Falcone (3 albums) and Harold Brasch (2 albums). Plus there was a Fred Dart album (in the '60s, I think). And Henry Charles Smith might have beat him, but I can't be sure.

Here is an article by Droste euphonium materials, including recordings.

Euphonium Materials, by Paul Droste

[GregEuphonium]

What about the recording that has been posted on this forum of Simone Mantia playing his Fantasie Originale? Was that a recording that was sold to the public in the early 1900's?

[davewerden]

Gregory,

You are correct. There were several by Mantia, and I think some even on Edison Cylinders. I guess I was addressing LP's/albums, since we were comparing to Droste's album.

I can't recall seeing any other euphonium soloist besides Mantia on 78's or cylinders. Anyone know of any?

[fsung]

Originally posted by: GregEuphonium

What about the recording that has been posted on this forum of Simone Mantia playing his Fantasie Originale? Was that a recording that was sold to the public in the early 1900's?

According to the biography on SimoneMantia.com, Mantia made several solo recordings, including recordings on the older phonograph cylinder technology.

The 78 RPMs & Cylinder Recordings collection of the Internet Archive has two recordings of Mantia dating from 1898 and 1899, respectively.

Those recordings would almost certainly have been sold to the public, since the first commercial radio station in the US was not licensed until 1920 (though AMRAD began broadcasting short program from Tufts Univ. in 1916), while phonograph recordings (both cylinder and disk) were being mass-marketed as early as the 1890s.

[fsung]

Originally posted by: davewerden
I can't recall seeing any other euphonium soloist besides Mantia on 78's or cylinders. Anyone know of any?

I don't know specifically of other euph soloists on 78s or cylinders, however, the Regal 78 Association (an association of collectors of 78s issued by the Salvation Army) has identified (and, in some cases, members own) Salvation Army band recordings featuring SA soloists dating from the mid-late 1920s made under the Columbia Gramophone "Regal" label, as well as some cylinders issued between 1897 and 1927, so it's certainly possible that there are other early recordings of euph solos out there.

[highams]

There were many Euphonium solos recorded on the Salvation Army 78rpm discs, not so many by non SA brass bands, but plenty on the old LP format;

http://www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk/Solos.htm

CB

[keithbarton]

I believe Mantia was recorded about 1898 or 1899 on cylinder. He is listed in Glenn Bridges "Pioneers in Brass" book as having recorded the solo "Do You Love Me?" in 1898 accompanied by piano. It doesn't mention if it was a euphonium or trombone solo.

Ole June May, deceased 1917, played in the Marine Band from 1903 to 1907 and can be heard on cylinders recorded for the Edison Company, according to a note Glenn Bridges wrote to Arthur Lehman. Doesn't mention solos although Mr. Bridges says he was a euphonium soloist with the band.

The Library of Congress published: "The Sousa Band A Discography" in 1970, and there is a list of soloists on page 118 with Mantia being the only euphonium soloists mentioned and a recording from June 1899. Mantia isn't listed in the discography of euphonium recordings in the new Euphonium Repertoire book.

[Gallenod]

Originally posted by: GregEuphonium What about the recording that has been posted on this forum of Simone Mantia playing his Fantasie Originale? Was that a recording that was sold to the public in the early 1900's?

I just found this post that refers to a recording of Mantia playing Fantasie Originale having been posted here, but I cannot seem to find the recording. Is it still available on the forum somewhere, and if so, would someone direct me to it, please? It's my favorite old warhorse euph solo and I'd dearly love to hear how Mantia played it.

Thanks.

Dale

[trescott]

I'm the nephew of Glenn Bridges, author of Pioneers in Brass. I have published a CD-ROM 4th edition of the book. It includes some of the recordings mentioned in his book. A description of the CD-ROM is at my web site. www.trescottresearch.com

All the cylinder recordings that Glenn collected were sold, but he recorded them on tape. Those tapes now reside at the UNC-Greensboro Music School. They were part of the ITA archive which was moved to Sibley Library at Eastman School of Music several years ago with all of Glenn's papers.

The recordings however stayed and will stay at UNC-Greensboro since Sibley cannot handle the large collection.

It's very possible that the recording you are relating to is among those tapes. UNC is working on preserving and allowing access to the collection.