Meet the father of all music piracy – National

Recognizing the tendency of humans to steal, God made it clear 1,500 years ago by inscribing on Moses’ tablet: “Thou shalt not steal.” This commandment holds the fourth spot on the list of things forbidden by God, emphasizing the importance of respecting others’ property.

Lionel Mapleson, unknowingly, became known as the father of music piracy despite not considering his actions as theft. He hailed from a family of music librarians dating back to the 1700s and eventually became the librarian at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

In 1900, Mapleson acquired a Bettini Micro-Reproducer to record audio performances from the Met’s stage. He meticulously captured various performances, showcasing his passion for preserving music from that era.

Despite facing challenges in capturing clear audio, Mapleson persisted, perched on a catwalk above the stage to optimize recording quality. His recordings, though varying in clarity, documented the music scene at the Metropolitan Opera, immortalizing performances that would have otherwise been lost to time.

Mapleson’s recordings were treasured for their historical value, offering a glimpse into the music of that era. His dedication to recording performances eventually led to the preservation and sharing of these musical treasures for generations to come.

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Mapleson’s pioneering recordings not only captured the essence of the Met’s performances but also provided a unique perspective on the music world of that time. His legacy lives on through his invaluable contributions to the preservation of musical history.

Mapleson’s innovative approach to recording performances paved the way for future generations to appreciate and study the music of that era. His contributions to the preservation and dissemination of musical history continue to be celebrated and cherished by music enthusiasts worldwide.

Despite facing challenges in capturing clear audio, Mapleson persisted, perched on a catwalk above the stage to optimize recording quality. His recordings, though varying in clarity, documented the music scene at the Metropolitan Opera, immortalizing performances that would have otherwise been lost to time.

Mapleson’s recordings were treasured for their historical value, offering a glimpse into the music of that era. His dedication to recording performances eventually led to the preservation and sharing of these musical treasures for generations to come.

Get daily National news

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Mapleson’s pioneering recordings not only captured the essence of the Met’s performances but also provided a unique perspective on the music world of that time. His legacy lives on through his invaluable contributions to the preservation of musical history.

Mapleson’s innovative approach to recording performances paved the way for future generations to appreciate and study the music of that era. His contributions to the preservation and dissemination of musical history continue to be celebrated and cherished by music enthusiasts worldwide.

Despite facing challenges in capturing clear audio, Mapleson persisted, perched on a catwalk above the stage to optimize recording quality. His recordings, though varying in clarity, documented the music scene at the Metropolitan Opera, immortalizing performances that would have otherwise been lost to time.

Mapleson’s recordings were treasured for their historical value, offering a glimpse into the music of that era. His dedication to recording performances eventually led to the preservation and sharing of these musical treasures for generations to come.

Mapleson’s semi-secret recording practices suddenly ended in 1904, perhaps because someone somewhere realized the commercial value of such cylinders. Maybe it was the Met demanding that their employee stop freelancing for himself so it could make and sell such recordings. Maybe some artists complained, realizing that their talent and labour was being used without their permission. Or maybe he just got bored.

By the time he packed up his machine, Mapleson had a library of maybe 140 of these very fragile cylinder recordings. Others were given away as gifts or thrown out. When he died of a heart attack on Dec. 21, 1937, no one quite knew what to do with them.

William Seltsam, the head of the International Record Collectors Club, had met with Mapleson earlier in 1937 and was given a challenge: Do something with these blasted things. After borrowing 124 cylinders from the family, Seltsam tinkered with things until he was able to slowly move the audio to 1o-inch 78 RPM records.

Those recordings have since been issued and reissued many times, including on CD, most recently with digital techniques that screened out the static and scratchiness.

Long-lost cylinders still occasionally turn up.

Some cylinders were discovered in a junk shop in Brooklyn, while others were obtained by collectors. A few were even found in Mexico. After sitting on approximately 16 cylinders for many years, the family decided to donate them, along with around 50 journals detailing their contents and events in Mapleson’s life, to the New York Public Library for further research. Surprisingly, they were discovered in a beer cooler that had been residing under a recliner on Long Island.

Regarding the issue of piracy, was Mapleson comparable to someone illegally recording a concert today? Not quite, as during his time, sound recordings were not protected by copyright and intellectual property laws. The concept of unauthorized recordings and distribution was not yet recognized as a form of theft, as sound recording copyright laws in America were not established until 1972.

Therefore, it would be unjust to categorize Mapleson with those who have unlawfully taken or shared music without permission. While he may not have been like Napster or Limewire, he does have a place in the history of unauthorized distribution.

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