Early opera recordings on wax cylinders

Lionel Mapleson created more than 100 cylinder recordings of Metropolitan Opera performances at a time when sound recording was in its infancy. These cylinders allowed for a live recording with full orchestra and performers—a feat that was not otherwise accomplished until the advent of electrical recording in the late 1920s. The cylinders document invaluable examples of early 20th-century performance practice. Mapleson, the Metropolitan Opera’s librarian, captured a number of legendary performers, such as Marcella Sembrich, Nellie Melba, Louise Homer, Emma Calvé, and Lillian Nordica, including some who never made commercial recordings, such as Jean de Reszke and Milka Ternina. The National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress recognized the cylinders’ significance by choosing them as one of its 25 selections in 2002, the Registry’s inaugural year.