Incomplete And Utter History Of Classical Music

SAX AND VIOLINS

??-iime now to grab 1878 with both hands, turn it upside-down, JL give it a good shake and see what falls out of the pockets. Let me talk you through the contents.

First up is an obituary of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, who passed control of the country to his son, Humbert. There's also a now rather knackered old piece of Karl Benz's new motorized tricycle, which was capable of some rather hair-raising speeds, for 1878: 0-7 miles per hour in only ten minutes. This odd, Elgar-shaped object is actually a bike handlebar - A. A. Pope having just begun manufacturing the first bicycles in Britain. Also, London had just had brand-new electric street lighting put in. What else is here? There's a copy of the new Thomas Hardy novel, The Return of the Native, and there's George Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians - how did people survive before it was published? - as well as Rodin's The Age of Bronze and this. A birth certificate. For one Herman Hesse. From last year. And that appears to be it.

Oh, apart from one little thing. Well, I say 'little', it's actually something that luwies like myself would not be able to live without. Because, would you believe it, in 1878, David Hughes invented the microphone. Amazing - 126 years ago! I'd always just presumed it was much more recent than that, don't know why. And 'David