'Spaghetti polka'--Felix Jardella (Berliner 345, April 1898)

[Viva-Tonal]

Clarinet solo; billed as 'clarionet solo' on the original etched label; piano accompaniment.

One thing many of us here know is speed constancy was not a strong suit of Berliner's early recording machinery. Rather than simply setting my turntable at a speed that sounds 'right' at the start of the record and letting the proverbial chips fall where they may afterward, I tried my best to adjust the speed as the record played, attempting to keep things in tune.

At the start of this record my turntable was running about 74 rpm; by the end I had it down to somewhere around 68 ½ to 69 rpm.

Click on the label!

[EdisonSquirrel]

The Berliner record is so 90s! I love it. It's certainly in excellent condition for a recording of that vintage.



Rocky

[Fredrik]

Yes, both well recorded and preserved!

Interestingly, parts of the melody have slight similarities to the Swedish composition "Midsummer Vigil", composed by Hugo Alfvén and later made famous worldwide through the adaption by Percy Faith ("Swedish Rhapsody") in the 1950s.

Fredrik

[Neophone]

Viva!tonal,

Super, There's something about these very early recordings that call to mind ghostly communications from our past, amazing! Thank you.

Regards,
John

[Viva-Tonal]

You're most welcome. Glad you like it!

[WDC]

A great and early number, well done. It is interesting that you mention the change of speed as I have stumbled over this problem with a few others from the period too. It must have been the primitive machinery. Nevertheless, that's what it makes it early!