VOL. V, NO. 2
INDIANA UNIVERSITY, BLOOMINGTON
THE
SUMMER, 1962
BERLIN PHONOGRAMM-ARCHIV
Kurt Reinhard
Shortly a f t e r the invention of the phonograph,
F e l i x von Luschan, who l a t e r became Director of the
Berliner Museum fiir Volkerkunde (Berlin Museum
f o r Anthropology), suspected that this new type of
equipment might someday be an important aid t o
anthropological r e s e a r c h . However, he soon gave
up the practical experiments which he had s t a r t e d i n
the mid-eighties, mostly because others convinced
h i m that such a thing belonged in a public f a i r and not
i n the Museum. Thus Berlin lost the distinction of
being the f i r s t t o make scholarly recordings with a
phonograph. Nevertheless, contact was soon e stablished with the pioneer ethnomusicological field r e cordings i n America: C a r l Stumpf wrote a commentary
on the recordings which Fewkes had made i n 1889
among the Zuni Indians, and which Gilman had analyzed.
C a r l Stumpf began making his own phonograms only in
1900, when the Siamese court o r c h e s t r a visited Berlin
f o r a guest concert. He deposited these cylinders a t
the lJniver sity of Berlin, in the Psychological Institute,
of which he was Director. In effect, he laid the foundation f o r the Berlin Phonogramm- Ar chiv, although i t
was not given that name until a few y e a r s l a t e r .
Then two of his a s s i s t a n t s , Otto Abraham and
E r i c h Moritz von Hornbostel, a l s o began t o take a n
i n t e r e s t in comparative musicology, a field which
Stumpf had founded only incidentally. They made t h e i r
own recordings i n Berlin, and analyzed these phonog r a m s a s well a s those which ethnologists, at Stumpf's
suggestion, brought back f r o m t h e i r expeditions. In
the meantime the Archiv had grown s o rapidly that i n
1905 von Hornbostel was officially appointed i t s Direct o r . Von Hornbostel was, of course, one of the leading
f i g u r e s i n the field of comparative musicology and the
r e a l center of the "Berlin school." We need not add
anything h e r e concerning his importance. Stumpf a l s o
did independent r e s e a r c h i n the new field, and in 1911,
f o r example, published*
Anfange d e r Musik (The
Beginnings of Music) a s his f i r s t comprehensive work.
He always held h i s protective and influential hand over
the new institution, but i n actuality the Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv became the lifework of E r i c h von
Hornbostel. Otto bra ham soon withdrew f r o m the
c i r c l e of scholars, but around von Hornbostel gathered
many other scholars, whose chief fields lay mostly
outside the Archiv, like Curt Sachs, Robert Lachmann,
and George Herzog.
Another group of students grew up l a t e r , i n connection with von Hornbostel' s teaching activity a t the
University of Berlin. F r o m these came the a s s i s t a n t s ,
who worked mostly without pay, like M. Kolinski,
F. Bose, and M. Schneider, who directed the Phonogramm-Archiv a f t e r von Hornbostel's emigration in
1934 and into the Second World War.
An international exchange of phonograms had been
set up v e r y early. This exchange was considerably
strengthened when the Institute - the f i r st t o do s o shortly a f t e r 1906 began producing copper negatives
f r o m the original cylinders, f r o m which a s many copies
a s d e s i r e d could be cast. The financial situation of
the Archiv was always v e r y strained, and a n appeal
by C a r l Stumpf which appeared i n 1908 i n many newspapers had attracted only a few private doners. Yet
i t was possible, thanks mostly t o the personal sacrifice of von Hornbostel, t o equip almost a l l German
expeditions with recording equipment and blank cylinders. Many of the collections brought back w e r e
f a i r l y well documented, since von Hornbostel made
a s many t r a v e l l e r s a s possible acquainted with the
technique of recording and the data t o be noted, o r
a t l e a s t placed a t t h e i r disposal a copy of the chapter
"Musik" f r o m the Anleitungen fiir ethnologische Beobachtungen und Sammlungen (Instructions f o r Ethnological observations and Collections), published by
the Museum fiir Volkerkunde in 1908.
Archiv, i t has been possible t o acquire about twenty
percent of the old holdings. Among the per sons and
institutes which i n t h i s m a t t e r w e r e helpful to the
Archiv in such an unselfish way a r e the following:
F r a u Koch-Grunberg (50 cylinders), Museum f u r
Volkerkunde Munchen (369 cylinders), Institut fiir
Volkerkunde der Univer sitat Tubingen (56 cylinders),
and the Re s e a r c h Center in Anthropology, Folklore,
and Linguistics (about 17 0 cylinders)
.
The Director of the Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv, Kurt
Reinhard. In the background i s a p o r t r a i t of C a r l
Stumpf, the founder of the Archiv, by the noted G e r man impressionist Max Slevogt, 1925 (on loan f r o m
the National Gallery).
In 1906 t h e r e w e r e already m o r e than 1000 r e cordings. These w e r e augmented so greatly that a t
the beginning of the Second World War they numbered
about 11,000. Among these was the collection of over
1000 recordings made in the F i r s t World War prisoner of-war camps, particularly by Georg Schunemann. In
o r d e r to make the best recordings in the Archiv available also t o outsiders, in the e a r l y twenties von Hornbostel put together a " Demonstrationssammlung"
(Demonstration Collection) of 120 cylinders, which
anyone interested could purchase.
The Phonogramm- Archiv remained in the Berliner
Schloss until 1934, i n the same q u a r t e r s a s the P s y chological Institute. But in 1922 i t s administration
was taken over by the Senate, and for no logical reason.
i t was attached to the Hochschule fur Musik. A really
significant change came only in 1934, when it was
united with the Museum fiir Volkerkunde; a t that time
i t moved t o Berlin- Dahlem. In the meantime seventy
publications had appeared; these contained the e a r l i e st
transcriptions of recordings in the Archiv.
The most valuable holdings we r e t r a n s f e r r e d in
o r d e r t o protect them f r o m a i r r a i d s ; nevertheless, a
certain percentage of the recordings in and outside
Berlin w e r e lost. The greatest part survived intact,
but these recordings a r e no longer in Western hands.
Through the kind deposit of tape and cylinder copies,
however, the originals of which a r e missing f r o m the
THE FOLKLORE AND FOLK MUSIC ARCHIVIST
Vol. V, No. 2
Summer, 1962
A joint publication of the Folklore Archives and
the Archives of Folk and Primitive Music, Divisions of the R e s e a r c h Center i n Anthropology, Folklore, and Linguistics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA. THE FOLKLORE AND FOLK
MUSIC ARCHIVIST i s devoted t o the collection, documentation, indexing, and cataloguing of folklore and
folk music.
George List
Richard M. Dorson
Judith McCulloh
Editor
Editorial Associate
Assistant t o the Editor
Since the l a s t d i r e c t o r of the Phonogramm- Archiv
was no longer in Berlin a f t e r the w a r , the Institute was
not taken into consideration when the Berlin Museum
fiir VGlkerkunde was rebuilt. F r o m the v e r y beginning
i t did not appear in the budget of the city of Berlin,
and this, too, had a n a r r e s t i n g effect on the work of
the Archiv for many y e a r s . The author, who was
appointed Ethnomusicologist a t the newly-f ounded
F r e i e Universitat in 1948, was able t o t r a n s f e r the
few holdings of the Archiv left in Berlin, a s well a s
a p a r t of the l i b r a r y , t o the University's Musikwissenschaftliches Institut (Institute of Musicology). Because
of technical administrative reasons, however, the
Phonogramm-Archiv in 1950 had t o be incorporated
into the Ehemals Staatlichen Museen a s sociation; t h i s ,
however, was of no immediate help in building up the
Archiv again. Only some y e a r s l a t e r did i t succeed
in acquiring the tape r e c o r d e r s and tape i t needed,
a s well a s a s m a l l basic collection of c o m m e r c i a l
discs.
At the same time, the exchange of recordings
with other institutions was arranged. Numerous German and foreign scholars allowed the PhonogrammArchiv t o copy t h e i r tape recordings, and in recent
y e a r s it h a s even been possible to equip ethnologists
closely connected with the Archiv with portable tape
r e c o r d e r s , tapes, and questionnaires. In this way
the holdings of the Archiv have again reached considerable stature. To be s u r e , the number of recordings
does not correspond t o that of the e a r l i e r cylinders.
On the other hand, the newer tape recordings offer
g r e a t e r advantages for r e s e a r c h because of t h e i r better
technical quality, and even m o r e , because each music a l item i s now recorded i n i t s entire length, and not
interrupted o r broken off a f t e r two minutes, a s was
the c a s e with cylinder recordings. The a r e a s of
collection could not be systematically chosen. Although much had to be left t o chance, the Archiv today
again p o s s e s s e s recordings f r o m the entire world.
The folkloristically interesting a r e a s in Europe a r e
now much m o r e strongly r e p r e s e n t e d than before.
Through t r i p s by people connected with the Archiv,
a few a r e a s of specialization have been built up, in
which the Institute i s superior both quantitatively and
qualitatively t o many other collections. To these belong Turkey (recordings by Reinhard), the Lapps
(Laade, Christensen, Munser, and Seipoldy), Corsica
(Laade), Kurdistan (Christensen), and the Ellice Islands
(Koch).
The most important t a s k of the Archiv i s s t i l l
scholarly r e s e a r c h and teaching. The publications
of the Archiv now number 94. The association with
the University h a s become especially close through
the personal contact of the author, who i s both Direct o r of the Archiv and P r o f e s s o r of Ethnomusicology
a t the F r e i e Universitzt. The Archiv offers the students r i c h possibilities f o r work. Various s e m i n a r s
a r e held in the Archiv itself. So f a r , five students
CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS ISSUE
KURT REINHARD i s Director of the Berlin Phonog r a m m - Archiv and P r o f e s s o r of Ethnomusicology a t
the F r e i e Universitat i n Berlin.
F r o m the correspondence of the Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv, this l e t t e r f r o m Bgla BartAk to E r i c h Moritz von
Hornbostel, dated May 22, 1912, i s of special interest. It may be translated thus:
Dear S i r ,
Allow me to introduce myself t o you. I a m P r o f e s s o r at the Royal Hungarian Music Academy in Budapest,
and in my f r e e time occupy myself v e r y much with folk music, that i s , a s a collector. Up to now I have handed
in nearly 1000 phonograph cylinder recordings to the Ethnographic Museum in Budapest. Several of m y countrymen have spoken to me concerning your studies, among them Dr. Solymossy, who also gave me your publications.
Now I a m turning to you on behalf of the Director of our Ethnographic Museum, Mr. V. Semayer.
As we know, your Phonogramm-Archiv p r e p a r e s copies of phonograph recordings, which it u s e s in exchange
with other institutes. Our museum would likewise like to enter into such a kind of exchange agreement with some
institutes. We do not know, however, how and where such copies can be prepared, and how high the cost of the
p r o c e s s might be.
Now we request that you be so kind a s t o send me information about it.
Or instead of that, might I perhaps visit you the 19th, 20th, or 21st of June, and get information in person,
since a t this time I will be in Berlin?
Respectfully yours,
(signed) B6la ~ a r t 6 k
My a d d r e s s is: ~ g k o s k e r e s z t u r(Hungary)
have graduated with ethnomusicology a s their m a j o r ,
and seventeen with ethnomusicology a s their minor.
Besides that, six dissertations a r e currently in
process.
Because of lack of room, in 1959 the PhonogrammArchiv was t r a n s f e r r e d to the storage building annexed
t o the Museum fiir Volkerkunde (Berlin- Lichterfelde,
Gardeschutzenweg 71- 101). Here enough room i s available that a long-held wish could be translated into r e ality: the compiling of a representative selection f r o m
the holdings of musical instruments of the individual
divisions of the museum. This study collection, which
i s housed in t h r e e rooms, i s a t the disposal of the student and can be visited by those with special i n t e r e s t s .
F o r the f i r s t time, a scholarly catalog which will include a l l the musical instruments of the museum has
been started. Dr. Dieter Christensen, the r e s e a r c h
assistant of the Phonogramrn-Archiv, h a s taken on the
bulk of this work.
The holdings on sound recordings a r e represented
in t h r e e c a r d indexes. The main c a r d index i s a r r a n g e d
geographically with respect to cultures and t r i b e s .
Each musical item i s represented by a c a r d , and the
original recording medium (cylinder, disc, o r tape) i s
recognizable through various colors of c a r d s . These
c a r d s ( s i z e Din A 6) contain indications of place, group,
title of the piece, function, performance ( s i n g e r s , instruments), and source (collector, r e c o r d company,
and so on). In addition to the exact label t h e r e a r e indications of the length of the pieces and sometimes a
note about the speed of the discs o r tapes. All further
documentation f o r the recordings, such a s texts and
expedition r e p o r t s , i s found in special files, which
bear the s a m e label a s the cylinders, discs, or tapes.
Besides this main c a r d file, t h e r e a r e two slip catalogues ( s i z e Din A 7), on which the n e c e s s a r y notes
a r e t r a n s f e r r e d f r o m the main c a r d file. The f i r s t
i s a r r a n g e d according to presentation, that i s , singers
and instruments; the second i s a r r a n g e d according to
genre, for instance, "love song" o r "mask dance."
Questionnaires a r e given to a l l scholars who a r e
willing t o place copies of t h e i r recordings o r the
originals in the Archiv. These consist of a folded
sheet ( s i z e Din A 3 ) . Two of the four pages a r e blank;
h e r e the texts o r descriptions of the g e s t u r e s and
dances a r e to be written. The two remaining sides
contain a l l the questions which i t i s n e c e s s a r y to answer if the recordings a r e to be used for scholarly
purposes. These questions have to do with place and
date, type of musical item, title, function, source
and age, and beyond that, with the singers o r e l s e the
instrumentalists (name, age, sex, t r i b e , education,
musicality, and so forth) and the instruments used.
These que stionnaire s have the special advantage that
the collector gets everything pre-planned and ready
for h i s u s e , and does not have to stop and mull over
the directions given t o him, o r perhaps make up his
own diary.
The following r e p o r t s give information about the
publications t o date:
Marius Schneider: " Das Phonogramm-Archiv
des Museums fiir VGlkerkunde," Archiv fur Vergleichende Phonetik, E r s t e Abtl., Bd. 11, 1938.
Kurt Re'inhard: " Das B e r l i n e r PhonogrammArchiv," Die Musikforschung 6, 1953.
Kurt Reinhard: " Das Berliner PhonogrammArchiv," Bae s s l e r - Archiv, Neue Folge 9, 1961.
In the l a s t of these a r t i c l e s t h e r e i s a l s o a detailed
survey of the holdings on sound recordings. Here,
instead of that degree of detail, only a few figures can
be given concerning the situation a s of October 15,
1961
.'
The annual budget, f r o m which only special busi n e s s expenditures of the Archiv a r e paid, amounts to
5000 DM ($1,250) for 1962. This does not cover p e r sonal expenses, office equipment, stationery, rent,
o r royalties f o r copies. In 1962, 3000 DM ($750) was
a l s o available for special purchases, phonograph
r e c o r d s in particular. In 1963 a n additional 18,000
DM ($4,500) will be available for the purchase of tape
recorders.
The equipment inventory a p p e a r s a s follows:
I
Phonographs, for recording and playback
Turntables, commercial, mostly portable
Turntables, studio models
Disc - cutting machine
Tape r e c o r d e r s , battery operated
Tape r e c o r d e r s , electrically run, mostly portable
Tape r e c o r d e r s , electrically run, studio models 2
Besides the Director, the Archiv h a s a s p e r m a nent staff m e m b e r s a r e s e a r c h a s s i s t a n t and a technical a s s i s t a n t (sound technician). Beyond that, a
typist and s e v e r a l workers a r e available a s needed.
Moreover, i t was possible t o c a r r y through the extensive work of building up the Phonogramm-Archiv only
because since 1953 f r o m one t o t h r e e w o r k e r s have
been provided on the b a s i s of the relief p r o g r a m financed in p a r t by the government of the United States. Finally, thanks a r e due t o a group of students who have
unselfishly helped out in the Archiv, some for y e a r s .
In spite of the other l o s s e s , the PhonogrammArchiv retained the c a r d catalogs and the expedition
r e p o r t s for a l l the e a r l i e r recordings. The s a m e
holds tr'ue for the correspondence since 1900, included
in which a r e valuable l e t t e r s f r o m well-known scholars
(for instance, the ~ a r t h kl e t t e r of which a facsimile
i s given h e r e ) . The s m a l l l i b r a r y a l s o suffered some
l o s s e s , which so f a r i t h a s not succeeded i n replacing.
But what i s not t o be found t h e r e , despite some new
acquisitions, i s f o r the most p a r t available t o the
staff and students in the general l i b r a r y of the Museum
fiir Volkerkunde o r i n the University.
In addition t o loaning tape recordings t o radio
stations, film companies, schools, societies, and s o
forth, the Phonogramm-Archiv i s v e r y i n t e r e s t e d i n
a n active exchange with other scholarly institutes.
The equipment a t i t s disposal makes i t possible t o
produce copies a t any d e s i r e d speed. Recordings deposited with u s a r e always protected in writing, with
the a s s u r a n c e that they will be u s e d " only f o r scholarly
and not for commercial purposes." The index c a r d s
f o r these recordings a r e m a r k e d with a corresponding
r e striction. Likewise, a s s u r a n c e i s given that no
scholarly study will be published without the p e r m i s sion of the collector.
' ~stribution
i
of holdings in the Phonogramm- Archiv:
I
Europe
Near E a s t
Africa
Asia
243
25 02
2745
82 1
714
1535
4280
35 8
1612
1970
5 49
348
897
2867
839
71
910
619
49 9
1118
2028
435
141
576
91 1
297
1208
1784
on cylinders
on tapes (originals)
total of the Archiv's own recordings
on discs
on tapes (copies)
total of recordings f r o m elsewhere
grand total
Oceania
41 0
226
636
167
742
9 09
1545
America
128
80
208
569
330
899
1107
Total
241 3
4632
7 045
3636
2930
6566
13611
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Bloomington, Indiana
Permit No. 2
VOL. V, NO. 2
INDIANA UNIVERSITY. BLOOMINGTON
SUMMER, 1962
A joint publication of the Folklore Archives and the A r c h i v e s of Folk and P r i m i tive Music, Divisions of the R e s e a r c h Center in Anthropology, Folklore and Ling u i s t i c s . Indiana University. Bloomington. Indiana, U. S . A . George L i s t , Editor.
Richard M. Dorson, Editorial A s s o c i a t e . Judith McCulloh, A s s i s t a n t to the Editor.