Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville. Au Clair de la Lune - By the Light of the Moon (April 20, 1860)

Au Clair de la Lune - By the Light of the Moon (April 20, 1860)
Scott recorded “Au Clair de la Lune” at least three times. This version, preserved today among the papers of the physicist Henri Victor Regnault in the library of the Institut de France, dates from April 20, 1860. The performance is just as sluggish as the one from April 9, but it is considerably better-recorded, probably reflecting advances in the preparation of recording membranes. Scott notes that the membrane was in its “natural” position, meaning at an angle like the human eardrum, and that his signal chain also included an “oval window,” apparently referring to a second membrane. This time, the rotation of the cylinder didn’t slow down to a near-stop between “Pierrot” and “prete,” as it had on April 9—after all, Scott knew by now how much of the song he could fit on a sheet.

[deadmetalbr]

On the one hand, this sounds like nightmare fuel out-of-context. On the other, and in context, every song by every musician you've ever loved owes itself to this muffled, warbly mess, and that's nothing short of awe-inspiring. Human art and science leapt forward, hand in hand, the day this was scratched into paper, and if there's an afterlife, Monsieur de Martinville can rightfully feel more than just a bit smug for his contribution to world culture.

[RonanAnjos]

In an amazing trip to the past the voice of an unknown human being reborn for the eternity. Respect to mister Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville with his magic machine that prints sounds.

[rytisliaucys]

Fun fact: Edourd never knew this could be used to actually record and playback voice. His phonoautograph was only used to study sound waves and acoustics, and we there was never a way to play this back until someone figured it out in 2008 with digitalization.

[sachascpautomobilerobloxam]

C'est dingue d'entendre ça il y'a 160 ans!!

[baire]

Wow, when I listen to each of the versions here on YouTube, I can feel David Giovannono's excetment from the first time he played it. The first one to hear it, ever after 160 years!

[kellycoleman]

He really didn’t need to slow his singing down, but it was all experimental in those days.

[TylerMcNamer]

The first sound recorded was a lullaby.

[timefortea]

Imagine playing that in an empty Victorian asylum at midnight lol.

[joshs.]

In the wake of the Kanye West controversy where he credited the invention of the Microphone to some horrible person.. Let's gave Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville the rightful credit for actually truely inventing the microphone and using it to gave us the first recording ever.

[shadowpoet]

0:50
Yes, you can even hear the inhales discernably. Analog recording will always be truer in tone

[aidenthecomputernerd]

Woah! Didn’t know flies could sing in 1860! So talented!

[cornersclip]

This is better than 6ix9nine's whole career

[Incognito-ck]

Mom: Go to bed
Me: I can't sleep Mom!
Mom: Your grounded for 2 months if you
don't sleep!


Mosquito in 3 AM: 👀

[Lottistari]

Fun fact: this dude wrote a book with a really long title “Jugement d'un ouvrier [L. Scott] sur les romans et les feuilletons à l'occasion de Ferrand et Mariette [of A. de Bouclon].” (Seriously, that needs to be 15 words shorter)

[МарияСуханова]

Я: пытаюсь заснуть
Комар под моим ухом:

[derunsympath]

This is what every soundcheck sounds like fr

[marcseen]

My God, as a Hi-Fi enthusiast, I'm so glad recording technology has improved! 👍🤣

[WhoisVinnie]

Can you do music demos? Like Mind Conception from Judas Priest?

[cosmicbackgroundguy]

It is crazy there we have sounds that we can still access from a human that was born in the late 1810s

[freakster-]

I thought this channel was dead but nice