[78-L] Herr Doktor Brahms (was: Paging Jerry Fabris)

[Kevin P. Mostyn]

"Dezember Achtzehnhundertachtundneunzig" translates as December 1898. If
this is actually what is said, Brahms was dead in 1898.

1889 is "Achtzehnhundertneunundachtzig"

--Kevin Mostyn

-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Michael Biel
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 2:06 PM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: [78-L] Herr Doktor Brahms (was: Paging Jerry Fabris)

  This seems to be the best web page so far with the best info about the
introduction as well as an analysis of the piano playing.

https://ccrma.stanford.edu/groups/edison/brahms/brahms.html


+++++++++++++++++++++++

Jonathan Berger (CCRMA, Stanford University)

The spoken text at the start of the cylinder recording has been wrongly
attributed as belonging to Brahms. Numerous writers, scholars and amateurs
alike, have presumed that Brahms introduces himself with the words "I am
Doctor Brahms, Johannes Brahms". However a humber of factors raise serious
doubts as to who is speaking. The only mention of the recording by someone
who was present (in the published memoires of Fellinger's son) states that
Brahms was introduced. Considering the time between the announcement and the
start of the music it seems improbable that the same person could segue from
speech to playing so quickly particularly given the technological
limitations.

The denoised excerpts reveals enough of the speech to suggest that the
speaker (probably Wangemann) introduces Brahms as follows:

"...Dezember Achtzehnhundertachtundneunzig. Haus von Herrn Doktor Fellinger,
bei mir ist Doktor Brahms, Johannes Brahms".

("...December Eighteen Hundred Eighty Nine. House of Mr. Fellinger, with me
is Doctor Brahms, Johannes Brahms.")

(acknowledgements to Guido Behnke for his assistance in transcribing the
text)

+++++++++++++++++

This has a restored version and you can actually hear the announcement
clearly, and start to understand the piano style.  Partway through it shows
a photo of the cylinder and I can vouch for that crack on the right side
that this is the REAL cylinder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DILubIRIgX4&feature=related

This also is an interesting restoration but gets out of sync between two
versions at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdFuqKcYaZk&feature=watch_response

This has two different unrestored dubs of the cylinder and even has the
story correct.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXL3I7GPCY

There is an earlier version of the first web page that has some audio links
and writes about some of the alternation transcripts of the intro, but does
not include the corrections.
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~brg/brahms2.html

Back in the early history of the controversy, someone heard "Gruss Got Herr
Edison" which would be an Austrian greeting to Edison.  This is IMPOSSIBLE,
and might be what has caused someone to think that Edison was on the
cylinder.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com



On 9/14/2010 4:28 PM, David Lennick wrote:
> On 9/14/2010 4:19 PM, Michael Biel wrote:
>>     On 9/14/2010 3:50 PM, David Lennick wrote:
>>> Same question you've just answered off-list..expect to hear from a 
>>> nice fellow in Toronto who wants to debunk a story about Brahms and 
>>> Edison speaking on the same cylinder. (Unless there actually is such 
>>> a thing..)
>>>
>>> dl
>>>
>> __ I __ can debunk this.  I have seen and actually held the ORIGINAL 
>> Brahms cylinder.  It is not Brahms voice, Edison was thousands of 
>> miles away, and the words on it do not even include Edison's NAME.
>>
>> The translation of what is actually said in German goes something 
>> like "In the house of Mr. Fellinger, I have Mr. Doctor Brahms, Johannes
Brahms.
>>
>> I'll get the links later.
>>
>> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com
>>
>>
> You know that, I know that, even the fellow who wants Jerry's address 
> knows that, but he needs something to refute a print article claiming 
> the existence of Edison and Brahms speaking the same language.
>
> dl
>
>

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