Issler's Orchestra facts for kids

Issler's Orchestra was a very early music group. They were probably the first band to become famous mainly because of their recorded music. This was a big deal because recording music was a brand new idea back then!

In 1888, a music teacher and piano player named Edward Issler (born 1855) started this band. It began with four instruments: a piano, a cornet (like a small trumpet), a flute, and a violin.

Their very first recordings were made in 1888 for Thomas Alva Edison. He was the famous inventor of the phonograph. The phonograph was the first machine that could record sounds and play them back.

Soon, the band added more instruments, like the trombone and clarinet. However, bigger music groups started to become more popular. Issler's Orchestra began to lose its fame. They made their last recordings in 1900. The band might have kept performing live for a few more years after that.

Meet the Band Members

The main members of Issler's Orchestra were:

• Edward Issler (born 1855): He played the piano and led the band.
• David B. Dana (1855 - 1914): He played the cornet.
• George Schweinfest (1862 - 1949): He played the flute and piccolo.
• A. T. Van Winkle (dates unknown): He played the violin.

Amazing Early Recordings

All of Issler's recordings were made on special "brown wax cylinders." Imagine a hollow tube, about 4¼ inches long and 2¼ inches wide. These tubes were made of a waxy material. They usually looked brown, which is why they got their name.

These old cylinder records are very fragile. Not many from the 1890s have survived until today. The ones that did survive are often not in perfect condition. This means the sound on them is not as clear as it was when they were new. There's also more background noise.

Here are some of their important recordings:

• One of their first records doesn't have a title. At the start, a voice announces, "Played at the Edison Phonograph Works, Orange, New Jersey, by the Issler Parlor Orchestra."
• In March 1889, they recorded the Fifth Regiment March for Edison.
• In 1891, they recorded a lovely song called Nanon Waltz by Richard Genee.
• Around 1894 or 1895, they recorded the Electric Light Quadrille. This record had a special announcement in the middle. It said that Issler's Orchestra would play for free at Keystone Hall. It also mentioned that electric light would be used there for the first time!
• In 1895, they recorded what might be the very first recording of the song Dixie.
• In 1898, the group recorded March of the Marines.

Images for kids

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  Pianist and bandleader Edward Issler in the 1890s. This picture is from a book published in 1904.