# Hear Johannes Brahms "talk" and play his Hungarian Rhapsody No.1: 1889 piano roll.



## JamieHoldham (May 13, 2016)

*Hear Johannes Brahms "talk" and play his Hungarian Rhapsody No.1: 1889 piano roll.*

Just like a previous post of Mahler playing one of his own compositions on the piano via piano roll; if anyone has not yet heard this piano roll it starts off with Brahms or Ansage saying "December Eighteen Hundred Eighty Nine. House of Mr. Fellinger, with me is Doctor Brahms, Johannes Brahms."

Enjoy this treasure.


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## jailhouse (Sep 2, 2016)

This is not a piano roll, it's an actual sound recording of Brahms playing the piano. One of the earliest such recordings to survive.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Fascinating and frustrating.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Toscanini would have been elated to get recorded sound that good!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Okay, I'm hooked. Putting this on a two hour continuous loop on my iPod.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Who was frying up breakfast at the time?


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## JamieHoldham (May 13, 2016)

jailhouse said:


> This is not a piano roll, it's an actual sound recording of Brahms playing the piano. One of the earliest such recordings to survive.


You are correct, my mistake. Makes it even more interesting being a recording from 1889!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

JamieHoldham said:


> Just like a previous post of Mahler playing one of his own compositions on the piano via piano roll; if anyone has not yet heard this piano roll it starts off with Brahms or Ansage saying "December Eighteen Hundred Eighty Nine. House of Mr. Fellinger, with me is Doctor Brahms, Johannes Brahms."
> 
> Enjoy this treasure.


Thanks for sharing Jamie.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Photography was far ahead those days....


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Sounds like it might have been recorded yesterday, by one of those "electronic voice phenomena" enthusiasts. Perhaps we are listening to Doctor Brahms speaking "from the other side." Next we'll hear Beethoven saying "could you speak up, please?"


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## jailhouse (Sep 2, 2016)

i love early recordings like this. Fascinating stuff.

Here is the earliest "recording" of singing ever made, by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville the inventer of the Phonautograph.

singing "Au Clair De La Luna" in 1860.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

I've read that some have disputed the voice is Brahms'.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> I've read that some have disputed the voice is Brahms'.


Considering what he is saying, it would indeed make no sense for Brahms to say "...with me is Doctor Brahms."

Incidentally, I wonder how good Brahms' English was...


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