Indian Recordings (Schomerus 1929)

The CD publication features 30 sound recordings, chiefly recitations of classical Tamil poetry, made by Hilko Wiardo Schomerus in Madras (Chennai) in 1929. Today, these recordings are of great historical interest, as can be read in the detailed introduction. Alongside Schomerus professional career, his commitment to Tamil culture and his interests, which repeatedly took him to that part of the world, the documents unearthed also allow insights into his contact with the Phonogrammarchiv, his itinerary and his research methods. Thanks to the meticulous study of the texts in order to prepare new transcriptions, numerous references to contemporary issues and Schomerus painstaking method of working came to light. The texts also explain the project of the Complete Historical Collections and its editorial guidelines as well as the techniques of re-recording and signal processing. The transcriptions are linked to mp3 files, which makes simultaneous reading and listening easy and comfortable. Further information concerns the biographical data of those reciting. The original protocols (i.e. the written documentation of the recording sessions) have been included as digital image files. Since Schomerus handwriting is not easy to decipher, transcriptions of the German translations have also been provided, even though the publication, in accordance with the editorial guidelines, is in English. In this commented source edition, the sources (i.e. the sound recordings and the original protocols) will be presented alongside the commentaries, which contain references to similar research projects of the time and subsequent decades, as well as reflections on the value of sound recordings for modern research. What is new and special about this release is the publication of the sources, of which hitherto no (or only little) notice has been taken. Also new is the format, which occupies a medial position between complete digital processing and physically available object. The handling is simple, the texts are much easier to read than in a booklet version, and the combination of transcription and sound makes listening to historical sound recordings very user-friendly.