"Leaving her voice behind her."

[epigramophone]

In December 1907, just a few weeks after her sensational Covent Garden debut on 2nd November 1907, Luisa Tetrazzini made her first records for The Gramophone Company, which had recently dropped the word "Typewriter" from it's name.

Within days this drawing of her recording session appeared in The Illustrated London News. Artistic licence has allowed Luisa to shed quite a few pounds, and would she really have been standing that far from the recording horn?

[Curt A]

She should be singing into a recording horn or her voice would just be background noise... I think the whole pic is artistic license...

[Wolfe]

Yes, for the purpose of recording she would've been closer to the horn. Although opera singers were instructed to back away from the horn when hitting high notes. I've also heard reference made to chalk marks on the floor indicating where singers should stand in order not to overcut the wax. So it's not like they had to be two inches from the horn at all times.

[Accursius]

Maybe Mrs. Tetrazzini is shown during a rehearsal, her recording horn being shown next to the empty music stand in the background. Both the stand and the horn seem to be adjusted for a solo artist standing upright, while the orchestra is seated.

It is unlikely that she would have been allowed holding the score sheet in her hand while recording, considering the noise. Furthermore, it seems logical for the singer to step back from the horn while rehearsing, because standing in recording position would render it impossible to watch the conductor.

[Wolfe]

Doesn't look like the fellow back in the recording laboratory is doing much of anything either. He looks a little bored. Biding his time waiting for recording to commence ? You'd think Madame Tetrazzini's thrilling tones would have him on his toes.