Emily Worthington records Weber’s concertino on phonograph
Emily Worthington (clarinet) recorded C.M. von Weber’s concertino in E flat major op. 26 during the first symposium of the network, under the supervision of recording engineer Duncan Miller, held at the University of Huddersfield on 12th September 2021.
Emily Worthington (clarinet) recorded C.M. von Weber’s concertino in E flat major op. 26 under the supervision of recording engineer Duncan Miller.
Listen to the transferred wax cylinder
Listen to C.M. von Weber’s concertino in E flat major op. 26
Emily’s commentary on the experience
Did you have any experience of using mechanical recording technologies before?
I have not!
How did you like the experience of recording on a phonograph?
It was fascinating – much more sensitive than I expected. It had strong implications for the tonal stability of the recorded instrument sound and also the legato – it will hugely inform the way I assess historical recordings from now on.
Did you need to change certain aspects of your playing/singing?
I was able to use more nuance than I expected, but tone production and attack needed to be really strong and direct – any delayed or muffled note was much more obvious than in real life (as I perceived it).
Did this experience influence the way you will listen to phonograph recordings in the future?
Yes definitely! It would be good to be able to do a longer session with digital comparisons to get a more detailed idea of what is picked up and what is distorted.