I believe Horowitz was the first Rach 3. I can’t think of an early recording than his one with Coates. Backhaus had the first complete chopets (my favourite version), but others had probably recorded individual etudes before that.
Backhaus also did the first concerto rec - bits and pieces from the Grieg in 1907, I think.
Otherwise, mannnn There are as many first recs as there are works, essentially. The Block cylinders will have a bunch of them. I remember Kempff did the first LvB-1. Beethoven’s sonatas weren’t played that much in the beginning of the century, they started becoming fashionable again in the mid 20s or so.
Clearly. Was thinking mainly standard rep, but also if there were some curiosities like how close a recording came to a premiere. Or if some bog standard rep now came late to being recorded.
I wonder how they split the PimpZon? 78’s back then I think?
Oh yes, 78s up to around 1950. I’m not sure how that was done either.
I wonder when the first Alkan rec came? There was a catalogue published in the early decades of the century which heroically meant to list all classical recordings made. They gave up some time in the 50s, but I remember Alkan still wasn’t a known letter combo in the final version of it.