Onkel Greifenklau

This channel is named after the Marschallin's uncle, who is mentioned toward the end of act one of Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier." It features recordings from the earliest days of the recording industry, as well as demonstrations of talking machines of the 1895-1929 period. I try to include recordings of less well known performers and recordings that are not readily found elsewhere. Although my collection cuts off in 1929, I have included a few interesting recordings from slightly later than that date. Many popular vocal recordings from this period contain language and portrayals that reflect racial and ethnic attitudes that were prevalent at that time; I include them here as historical documents and in no way condone or encourage these attitudes. Many of the records are in less than mint condition, so sound quality varies, and I do only a minimum of audio cleanup. None of my records is for sale.