PIONEER
Stepan BALCIYAN .... - ....
aka | Stepan Balciyan, S. Balciyan, Stepan Baldjian, S. Baldjian |
nationality | |
occupation | |
birth | ........ |
baptism | |
death | ........ |
burial |
PARENTS
father | |
mother | |
children |
LIFE
Armenian recording engineer ORFEON in later years (source: Marcel Blumenthal)
Matrix numbers of the earliest Orfeon recordings all have an "X" prefix (although the "X" was at times left out)
During one of the interviews I had with Marcel Blumenthal, the son of Jules Blument(h)al, he told me that the very first Orfeon recordings were made in Germany. That is not illogical since there definitely was a connection between the Blumenthals and the German HOMOKORD company. It seems likely that the first Orfeon recording engineer (prefix/signature "X" in front of the matrixnumbers) was German, possibly a Homokord recording expert.
In the early twenties an new prefix, an “S", appeared in front of the matrix numbers.
Initially recordings with “X” and “S” prefixes took turns, but at a certain point in time “S” took over completely, and X-prefixed matrix numbers stopped altogether.
It seems not unlikely that the “S”indicated a new recording expert and even that the “S” stood for “Stepan [Balciyan]”, although there is no proof for this assumption.
NOTES
- Musique Adresses Universel. Annuaire International de Commerce de Musique, 13e Édition (1931) (Office Général de la Musique, Paris, 1931)
COMPANIES & LABELS
PHOTOS
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First page of 11-page condolence register of Jules Blumenthal (18 February 1946). Mentioning among others the name "Stepan Balciyan". |
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Detail of above-mentioned document showing the name "Stepan Balciyan". |
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Second page of 11-page condolence register of Jules Blumenthal (dated 18 February 1946). Mentioning among others the name "A. Balciyan". |
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Detail of above-mentioned document showing the name "A. Balciyan". |
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Last page of draft 11-page contract (unsigned) between Columbia Graphophone Company Limited and H. & J. Blumenthal Frères (dated 4 April 1929). |
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Detail of above-mentioned contract. Lists H. and A. Balciyan Biraderler as representatives of Parlo[phone]. |
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Page 1232 of Musique Adresses Universel, 13e Édition (1931). Lists Baldjian frères, H. & A. at 8 Yeni Cami, Sirin Han, Istanbul. |
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BLUMENTHAL factory |
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Detail of Feriköy plan showing the Orfeon factory |
THANK YOU
Ruth Edge
Nicole van Os