Fabrication Ottomane 76 [Gramophone GCR 16105] • a MAX HAMPE 1905 recording of the Muzika-i Humayun [the royal band that served the Sultan]     Auction Details Contents:

A MAX HAMPE RECORDING — MADE IN 1905 IN CONSTANTINOPLE (Ottoman Empire)
Max Hampe was one of The Gramophone Company's earliest recording engineers
• Label: Fabrication Ottomane No. 76 [78 rpm 9.6" disc] — Matrix Details side 1: 484r side 2: ??
• Performer: The Muzika-i Humayun [The Sultan's "Band of the Imperial Garde"]
• Songs side 1: Rast Sarki and side 2: Smyrne Marche (Izmir Marsi)
• Record made in Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) in early 1900's from a 1905 recording & weighs 250 grams!
- [MAX HAMPE's Ottomam Empire recordings & FABRICATION OTTOMANE records, today, are virtually unobtainable]

Max Hampe [Engineer]: As one of The Gramophone Company's 1st recording engineers, Max Hampe was a pioneer in the music recording industry. He worked in the earliest era of music reproduction, when engineers went on expeditions to discover and record musicians in their native countries as records of non-western music didn't exist. As such, Max Hampe had recording sessions in Constantinople, from Aug - Sept of 1905, where he made the auctioned record's Rast Sarki and likely its Smyrne Marche.

Fabrication Ottomane label:

As early as the late 1800's pirate companies made bootleg records sourced from pirated recordings. The Ottoman Empire based record label Fabrication Ottomane, who made the auctioned record, issued bootlegs sourced from Odeon and The Gramophone Company's early Ottoman Empire recordings (primarily Max Hampe's). Content on this record: Side 1 [black label]: Rast Sarki on the auctioned record's side 1 and likely side 2's Smyrne Marche are amongst the earliest recordings of the Muzika-i Humayun, the royal band that served the Ottoman Empire's Sultan. The source for this Rast Sarki (matrix: 484r) was Hampe's 1905 recording that's on Gramophone Company record GCR 16105 (also on matrix: 484r). Side 2 [red label]: Smyrne Marche (title) and Tahsin Bey (artist) are indicated on the auctioned record's side 2 label. Although the Smyrne Marche title is correct, and it is a march verified by playback, Tahsin Bey had nothing to do with this recording. In the same 1905 sessions that produced side 1's recording, Max Hampe recorded Smyrne Marche also by The Muzika-i Humayun (Gramophone matrix: 476r). Likely this is the recording on the auctioned record's 2nd side. Presumably the use of Tahsin Bey, and replacing original matrix details with vague content, was done to frustrate those attempting to trace movement of pirated recordings. (Note that side 2's matrix details are difficult to decipher.) Condition: It's difficult to peg a grade on this record as this early pressing never had picture perfect grooves; it was made with some small roundish slightly depressed spots on both sides and some small slightly raised roundish spots on side 2 that shouldn't affect trackability. No attempt was made to clean the dirt on the record which can be removed by a proper cleaning. Without a 78 rpm 'table I could not play grade the record, though did play some of side 2 at 45 rpm. Side 1 has some, but not a lot, of small scratches and appears in average to slightly better condition. Although side 2 does not have lots of scratches it appears to be in less than average condition. Side 2 has a very fine non-feelable crack that runs from the dead wax towards the lead in groove (about 2/3's of this distance), which did not impact playback. Likely that's a crack at the 4 o'clock position within side 1's label area though this cannot be verified. There might be 2 small hard-to-see thin cracks on side 1 though just as likely these are but fine hairline scratches, even under high magnification there was no conclusion. Definitely the record is quite playable. Note: It looks like 2 labels were affixed to side 2 and part of the top label was removed. T's & C's: Detailed directly below are the Terms & Conditions that pertain to this auctioned item. Thanks to Hugo Strötbaum and several SUNY at Buffalo professors for their kind assistance in translation and knowledge shared. PACKAGING: This 78 will be insulated properly and packaged in a robust box which will be placed inside a larger and even more robust box along with plenty of insulation to cushion the inner box. Terms & Conditions: Payment & Shipping, LP Grading, Packaging, Feedback, etc. Payment Terms If Paypal is used payment must be received by the Seller within 3 days after auction closes, or within 7 days when other payment options are used. Regardless of payment method, Buyer must contact the Seller within 3 days after the auction closes. Where's the $4 Ship Fee?

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