The Phonogrammarchiv of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the world`s first, houses about 4000 mechanical
sound carriers (phonograms and gramophone records), dating from 1899 up to 1950. In 1999 the historical
collections have been included into UNESCO`s "Memory of the World"-Programme. Occasionally these recordings
represent the only surviving evidence of cultures that either died long ago or have at least considerably changed.
Hence such documents are of eminent interest not only for scientific reasons; they are invaluable for the countries
of origin, forming part of their cultural heritage. However, since these recordings are not readily accessible to the
researcher, they have to be transferred onto modern carriers. Moreover, it is necessary to enhance the signal
because of the sound and condition of the originals. Apart from these technical improvements, the historical
protocols accompanying the recordings often warrant additional explanation. As a result, it was decided to establish
a systematic, critical complete edition containing virtually all historical (i.e. mechanical) recordings up to 1950.
Such a complete edition is an undertaking unparalleled among other scientific sound archives.
This project - a part of the complete edition of the historical collections of the Phonogrammarchiv - was devoted to
Trebitsch`s collections, which include sound documents (music and speech recordings) of Inuits from Greenland as
well as of West-European minorities from Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Basque
Provinces. Because of their early recording date (1906-1913), these sound documents are of great interest
particularly to linguists and ethno-musicologists; indeed, sometimes they represent the earliest sound
documentation at all.
The aim of this project was to establish a critical edition which is published as a series of CDs accompanied by a
book providing transcripts and in-depth commentary. The innovative aspect of this project is twofold: establishing
a critical edition and making available for comparison very early - and often unique - musical and linguistic
documents. Particularly scientists interested in diachronic research will welcome the easy access to the wealth of
edited material which will no doubt make an important contribution to the sources already in existence.