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What do early sound recordings actually tell us about the way musicians performed in the past?

This project explores that question through historically informed recording: a research approach that combines performance, technology, and experimentation. Rather than studying historical recordings as documents, the project investigates how they were created and how recording technologies shaped what was ultimately preserved. At the centre of the project was a mechanical recording workshop using original Edison phonographs. Professional violinists recorded music under the physical and acoustic constraints of early recording technology, experiencing first-hand the challenges faced by musicians at the beginning of the recording era. By comparing live performances, wax cylinder recordings, and audience responses, the project examined the differences between what performers played, what recording devices captured, and what listeners heard.

The results demonstrate that early recordings are not simply records of musical performance. They are products of an ongoing interaction between performer, technology, and listener. Through recordings, videos, publications, and workshop documentation, this website shares the findings of the project and offers new perspectives on the interpretation of historical recordings and performance practices.

This website provides access to a range of materials generated through the project and the Early Recordings Association's mechanical recording workshops. Visitors can download the published chapter “Historically Informed Recording: Early Recordings Association’s Violin Case-Stud��”, watch videos documenting the workshop and recording sessions, and explore selected audio recordings produced during the research. The website also offers insights into the recording technologies used, the methodologies developed through historically informed recording, and the experiences of participating performers and researchers. Together, these resources provide a unique opportunity to engage with the practical, technological, and musical dimensions of early recording research.

• To recreate historical recording conditions using historically informed recording methods and original recording technologies.
• To examine the relationships between live performance, recorded sound, and audience perception.
• To investigate how recording technologies affect the audibility of expressive devices such as vibrato, portamento, dynamics, and tempo flexibility.
• To develop new methodologies for studying historical violin performance through experimental recording research.
• To advance understanding of the capabilities and limitations of early recording technologies and their influence on the interpretation of historical recordings.