Deutsche Grammophon collection presented at the Deutsches Technikmuseum (documentary)

In 2021 the Deutsches Technikmuseum took over Deutsche Grammophon's collection of historical gramophones and many other objects, documents and photographs associated with the company's long history. In December 2023, coinciding with Deutsche Grammophon's 125th birthday celebrations, the museum curated a selection of objects from the collection, presenting these as part of their wider permanent exhibition "Elektropolis Berlin".

The exhibition explores the development of telecommunications, such as the telegraph, the telephone, radio and television and its influence on the electrical industry in Berlin. Sound recording and the development of the recorded music industry in the city plays an fascinating part in the overall story.

Although Deutsche Grammophon's pressing plant was located in Hanover, the relationship to Berlin began as early as 1900 when the company opened a studio in the city. Then during the 1st World War the Polyphon Musikwerke took over the company and moved its headquarters to Berlin. In 2002, Universal Music, Deutsche Grammophon's parent company, moved to Berlin from Hamburg, and Deutsche Grammophon followed in 2011.

Visit the permanent exhibition at the Deutsches Technikmuseum: https://dgt.link/dg-dtm

Some names from the video:
0'48 - the bass Feodor Chaliapin
0'53 - Deutsche Grammophon's first gramophone factory in Hanover, 1898 (Joseph Berliner on the right)
1'21 - the conductor Arthur Nikisch
1'48 - the soprano Geraldine Farrar hears her own voice, 1910
1'53 - the baritone Titta Ruffo and tenor Enrico Caruso listen to the "Gramola".
1'55 - the employees of Deutsche Grammophon in 1898, the founding year of the company
2'06 - the Kammersänger Karl Järn in the studio in 1908 conducted by Bruno Seidler-Winkler
2'34 - a letter from Enrico Caruso to Deutsche Grammophon from 1912: "I have just listened to the test pressings of my new recordings I recently made in America, and I sincerely congratulate you. If it was at all possible for your recording process to be brought to a perfect conclusion, then the excellent reproduction of my new records achieved this. Yours sincerely, Enrico Caruso"
3'09 - Berlin's Alexanderplatz around 1900
3'19 - the Berlin Siemens factory in der Markgrafenstrasse in the early 1900's.
3'39 - Wilhelm Kempff in the studio, 1920
3'43 - the composer Richard Strauss
5'51 - Anne-Sophie Mutter, Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker
5'58 - the conductor Pierre Boulez with soprano Christine Schäfer
6'18 - Emil Berliner, founder of Deutsche Grammophon (1898)
6'19 - the Recording Angel, Deutsche Grammophon's first trademark
6'21 - David Ostrich
6'23 - Carlos Kleiber
6'24 - Rafael Kubelik
6'25 - Maurizio Pollini
6'27 - Mstislav Rostropovich
6'31 - Daniil Trifonov
6'32 - María Dueñas & Raphaël Feuillâtre
6'33 - Rafał Blechacz & Bomsori
6'35 - Víkingur Ólafsson
6'36 - Anne-Sophie Mutter & Lamberg Orkis
6'37 - Lisa Batiashvili
6'39 - Alice Sara Ott performing at Tokyo's MORI Building

Видео Deutsche Grammophon collection presented at the Deutsches Technikmuseum (documentary) канала Deutsche Grammophon - DG I Stories