Click on the triangle to hear the Sousa Band playing “The Stars and Stripes Forever” in 1913. Edison Cylinder recording.
Here’s the piccolo part from the original publication of “Stars and Stripes” in 1897. (Click on to view larger.) Notice the famous solo is marked fortissimo and “Grandioso.”
photo (top): Victor Herbert, Irving Berlin and John Philip Sousa in 1924. Library of Congress.
classical life 
This calls for a vote of AWESOME to the max. Especially impressive piccolo and surprisingly clear cymbal accents. Notice the repeat of the final section. Is that authentic, or a LofC holiday bonus, I wonder?
I was wondering about the repeat — all the way back to the beginning — myself. Maybe they did it to fill up the cylinder time? I just don’t know.
I actually didn’t get the recording from the Library of Congress, though they probably have it too.
btw, it is unlikely that Sousa himself is conducting this recording. He had a thing against recordings, and did not conduct most of the recordings of the Sousa Band, though he is said to have enjoyed the profits.
Agree on all counts, notadentist. Awesome. Thanks for finding this gem, Tim.
The repeat definitely caught me off guard — I thought the mp3 was playing on “repeat mode” and I had to double check the screen to see that it was only half-way through the track. The clarity of the recording was much better than I thought it would be given the cylinder.
Happy 4th of July, Tim and everyone else. Have a great day, some yummy food and a beverage of your choice (or three or four).
Tim
Thanks for the recording! Although I have played and conducted “The Stars and Stripes Forever” many times the repeat back to the beginning was a surprise! Have a Happy Fourth!
John Fleming
Oh so cool!!
Happy Fourth.
Just got around to opening this post. After last night’s awful – not awesome concert (even the fireworks were lackluster), this recording was a tonic. Thanks Tim. I am sending it to my piccolo playing grandson.