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.