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That's exactly what I intend to do with the set when I have some time. Should be a nice little project when I have a day or so to devote to it.

Sean

Here's one of the Mapleson cylinders that were later re-used as "Mapleson Family Vignettes".

http://www.box.net/shared/hbbnjgxmdeufpd11bcj4

At first, we can clearly hear an excerpt from Paderewski's (Yes, THAT Paderewski!) obscure opera, "Manru", that was performed 4 times between February and March 1902. The recording is faint, but we still can hear the music without much difficulties. But about 50 seconds later, all of sudden, we now hear the voices of young Mapleson Children, and some remarks by Lionel Mapleson himself - and yet he didn't shaved the recording for making this personal recordings; as a result it has some sort of a voice-over effect.

When I first heard this recording, I just could't believe it - What on earth possessed a person of Mapleson's knowledge and taste to treat these unique documents as mere throwaways?

At the time it WAS a throwaway- who was to know that it would be of any interest to the future?

As an aside, it's rather nice to have a little listen into the Mapleson family, which might be of equal historical interest. After all, it would be quite possible to restage MANRU but that scrap of chatter between Lionel and his children is priceless.

estott wrote:At the time it WAS a throwaway- who was to know that it would be of any interest to the future?

I pretty much agree.

Still, he should have just forked over 25 cents for some new cylinders, for his 'Vignettes.'