[78-L] Alban Berg on Tilophan and acoustical self-recording equipment

[Benno Häupl]

The label name is actually THILOPHAN. And the PAILLARD sleeve comes from a Swiss label. 


Under the name of THILOPHAN we have the following, marketed products and services: 

1)  a THILOPHAN acoustical (!) recording equipment marketed in 1930. It could be used for remote recordings, because the 
heaviest part was the weight for the speed control (60kg = 132 lbs.)
Because the equipment could be taken anywhere in a car, the Vienna Phonogrammarchiv used such a machine for field 
recordings of ethnic music. The Zürich Phonogrammarchiv, too, had one such machine for a while. 

2)  an electrical THILOPHAN recording equipment was marketed as from 1931 and sold internationally in Europe. This machine, too, could be carried anywhere, using the same lead gravity weight for speed accuracy. 

3)  a THILOPHAN recording studio in Vienna, open for professional and private, vanity recordings. Some of these recordings appeared on the KALLIOPE label. Matrix numbers were simple, the highest I have seen is something like 658. Some of the Austrian Jazz from THILOPHAN was re-issued on a Harlekin CD in the UK. 

4)  regular THILOPHAN 10 inch pressed shellac discs, mostly with classical music . One such record was recently offered for auction 
by Andreas Schmauder (www.78rpm.de):
Rothschild - Quartett (Kaufmann - Kreiner - Czegka) 10" el. Tilophan A 97 4.movt. pt.1/2 "Streichquartett in E-dur, op.96" 
(Dvorak) mx.396/ 397 Chamber music practice record for first violin; in original sleeve, with orig.music sheet for 1st violin 

5)  then there were 21 cm (about 8.2 inch) flexible, cardboard-based THILOPHAN discs made at their studio (and at some homes) 
Here is an example: 
http://cgi.ebay.at/78rpm-TILOPHAN-21cm-KARTON-FLEXIBLE-MEGARAR-/380291737569   

This should also answer the question if there ever was an acoustic home recording equipment. 

Benno