Théâtrophone

The Theatrophon (French: Théâtrophone ) was developed by Clément Ader system for stereophonic transmission of opera and theater performances over the phone. It was presented in Paris in 1881 for the first time. Was operated commercially, the Theatrophon in Paris from 1890 to 1932, the offer was extended to include the broadcasting of religious services and the reading of current news. Thus, the Theatrophon provides both content and technology a direct precursor of radio dar. Other vendors took over engineering and marketing model of Theatrophons. Thus, the system in the UK was sold in 1895 under the name Electro Phone, and found great success, especially in the 1910s.

• 2.1 Paris
• 2.2 Outside France

Development of Theatrophons

Theatre and Media were closely connected in the 19th century. For live coverage of the world premiere of Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera L' Africaine at the Paris Opera telegraphy in 1865 first used: " During the performance went hourly telegraphic reports on the inclusion of the work in the European capitals. " In the year 1878, in the Swiss Bellinzona transmit a performance of the opera Don Pasquale on a phone in an adjacent room to the opera. This type of transmission was not suitable for longer distances or a larger audience.

Technical design

The crucial step to use the phone as a transmission medium for public demonstrations succeeded the French inventor Clément Ader. Vein is known today primarily for his pioneering work in aviation, but he had an early interest in the art of the phone. He improved on the core 's telephone, the 1876 presented by Alexander Graham Bell Telephone, developed a better carbon microphone and installed in 1880 the first telephone line in Paris.

At the First International Electricity Exhibition in 1881 developed a new core telephonic system for the transfer of concerts or theater performances over longer distances. When headphones he used the proprietary telephone with horseshoe magnet and induction coil, which substantially increased the sensitivity and intelligibility. As a microphone, the device was unsuitable because the induced movement of the membrane voltage did not intensify. Therefore vein fell back on the carbon microphone, which varied by changing its resistance an applied battery voltage. His development of this device was always still a carbon rod as the Hughes microphone telephone, but equipped with multiple rods.

Artery had 40 microphones installed on the edge of the stage of the Opéra Garnier, who transferred the action to two kilometers distant Industrial Palace (Palais de l'Industrie ) on the Avenue des Champs- Élysées, where it could be heard in special equipped with earpieces rooms. To power the microphones placed one a two switchable Leclanche elements from which a battery was replaced after every 15 minutes. Transformers made ​​for a galvanic separation of direct current circuits of the telephone lines and an adaptation to their impedance. Analogous rendered with 10 microphones performances of the Comédie- Française. Each microphone was connected to eight listeners in series.

For each listener two earpieces were available, which were associated with two different microphones. Because that was a microphone on the left half of the stage and the other on the right half of the stage, succeeded one direction localization of the heard. Ader's demonstration was thus the first example of a binaural audio recording. Technically, the installation of the microphones was very demanding. The wire 's microphones threatened to vibrate at each occurrence loud on the stage, which is why they were encased in lead and were mounted on rubber bands. When placing the orchestra had to be taken to ensure that the percussion and brass were not too close to the microphones. The gas flame always still used as a spotlight disturbed the Microphones considerably.

Presentation

The later Théâtrophone called system inaugurated on August 9, 1881, the French President Jules Grévy. It developed during the show quickly became a hit with the public. From August to November 1881, the Theatrophon was presented on three evenings a week to the public. Contemporary Rapporteur were enthusiastic about the new technology. It was regarded as a sensation that could be heard over the Theatrophon not only the orchestra and the actors, but also the reactions of the audience and the voice of the prompter. Among the users of the new invention was one of the writer Victor Hugo, who is " ecstatic " in a diary entry of November 11, 1881 showed the presentation. Even the science- fiction writer Albert Robida should have tried the invention; as he described in 1883 in his utopian novel Le Vingtième Siècle ( The Twentieth Century ) a Theatrophon resembling the image transmission system called " téléphonoscope ".

Despite the high cost of installing and operating the plant, which totaled during the presentation in Paris to 160,000 francs, Ader invention was installed a year later at the International Electricity Exhibition in Munich in order to introduce them to the Bavarian King Ludwig II. The International Electrical Exhibition in Vienna in 1883, presented the transmission of sounds from the Vienna State Opera. In May 1883 a demonstration plant in the Paris Grevin Museum was established, at which performances of variety Eldorado could be traced. In addition, the use of Theatrophons was only reserved for a select group of people. President Grévy had lines from the Opéra, the Comédie - Française and the Théâtre de l' Odéon place to Elysee Palace. 1884 Theatrophone have been tentatively set in a Munich theater as well as with the Berlin Philharmonic. In the same year, the Ministry of Railway, Postal and Telegraph installed in Brussels Theatrophon; the Belgian royal couple presented to the new invention with transmissions of performances of Rossini operas William Tell and The Barber of Seville at their summer residence.

Also in 1884 was at the Teatro Nacional de Theatrophon São Carlos in Lisbon installed to King Louis an opera premiere, in which he could not be there in person, or at least could hear from his palace. A year later the Teatro offered the first Theatrophon and private clients. Add a subscription to 90 productions were transmitted.

First commercial use

Paris

After the successful operation of the demonstration plant at the Musée Grevin the Theatrophon was presented to a wider public during an international exhibition again, this time at the Paris Exposition of 1889. During this exhibition the Theatrophon Thomas Alva Edison was presented during a gala dinner, the self his improved phonograph was presented at the International Exhibition. Edison was said to be " thrilled " about the new invention and have recommended to introduce them immediately in New York.

To further marketing of the Theatrophons the Compagnie du Théâtrophone was founded in 1890. The entrepreneur Marinovitch and Szarvady developed coin-operated receivers, with which the Theatrophon was operated commercially. When inserting of 50 centimes the current program for 5 minutes could be heard for 1 Franc one was connected for 10 minutes. The first of these receivers were put into operation on 26 May in 1890 in the foyer of the Théâtre des NouveautÃ. Other devices have been installed in hotels, cafes and other public places. Were offered transfers of several theaters and opera houses, during the day you could hear the performance of an electric piano. Between events, timely messages were read for 5 minutes, so the Theatrophon is regarded as the earliest example of popular around the turn of the century telephone newspapers.

The coin Theatrophone corresponded technically a regular phone, but the connection was made through three lines. Two lines were used for stereophonic reception of the performances, a third line was used for communication between the user and the organizer. Through the operation of a switch, the customer could select the venue, the beginning of the performance was indicated by a signal lamp. The devices were portable, the connection to the pipeline network of Compagnie du Théâtrophone done by connecting to specific outlets.

To win regular listeners, tokens were offered for the coin-operated Theatrophone in discounted subscriptions. In addition, households were able to use the Theatrophon; but the annual fee of 180 francs and the use fees of 15 francs per show were so high that only upscale citizens layers could afford this investment. Nevertheless, the Compagnie du Théâtrophone could gain more than 1300 subscribers by the year 1893. The connections in the households the compound was the desired venue by telephone operators in the central office of the Compagnie du Théâtrophone, which was established in the Rue Louis- le -Grand. Because the power for the time being could be increased only by increasing the microphones ( and batteries ), the number of potential listeners a performance by the number of installed microphones on stage was limited.

Outside France

Already in 1887 a Parisian opera to Brussels was transferred. In Belgium, a dense network of Theatrophonen developed, so were over the telephone lines to transmit performances from Brussels to Ostend. The transfers were so popular that in 1899, Giuseppe Verdi successfully fought a ban on broadcasting his opera Rigoletto. Was similarly successful 1887 introduction of the Theatrophons in Sweden. A demonstration plant in Stockholm was proudly paraded state guests such as the Saxon King Albert or the German Emperor Wilhelm II. In the following years the music transmissions found thanks to the rapid spread of the telephone in Stockholm an ever larger audience.

In Germany and Austria the Theatrophone other hand, remained a curiosity. After the first experiments in Berlin and Munich, the Berlin Philharmonic were transferred to the Berlin Urania and 1896 concerts. In Austria, the Theatrophon at the Vienna Music and Theatre Exhibition 1892 was presented in the rotunda, but was then no commercial use. Even in the United States was not the Theatrophon over the experimental stage. Tivadar Puskás in Budapest developed, who had participated in the early 1880s in the construction of the Paris telephone network, the telephone Hírmondó own transmission technology, which was based on the Theatrophon. Phone Hírmondó offered from 1893 to not only musical performances, but also the latest news, stock quotes and other word programs, and thus became the most successful and long phone newspaper.

The biggest success outside France had the Theatrophon in the UK, where it was marketed under the name Electro Phone. 1891 for the first time a Parisian opera was transferred to London. In the same year coin-operated Theatrophone in London Savoy Hotel have been established. 1892 installed the Universal Telephone Company for the theater director Augustus Harris ever a Theatrophon the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. In Crystal Palace, a demonstration plant was set up, also musical performances from London to Liverpool and Manchester were transferred.

The general public interest in these demonstrations led 1895 establishing the Electro Phone Ltd., the private client offering the installation of an investment in their homes for five pounds at an annual fee of £ 10. In the Electro Phones program were 18 venues, in addition, the broadcasting of religious services was offered on Sundays. Until the turn of the century had the Electro Ltd. Phone. 600 subscribers, among them Queen Victoria.

Theatrophon and Electro Phone became an epitome of the modern world. During the Portuguese writer Jose Maria Eca de Queiroz yet described in his posthumously published novel city and mountains in the ironic tone, like the fine Parisian society used the Theatrophon for their pleasure, Jules Verne described in his utopian novel The Propeller Island from 1895, such as using Theatrophons of concerts over submarine cables of an inhabited floating city of billionaires are transferred. The British writer Ouida finally described in their 1897 published story, The Massarenes a character as " a modern woman of the world. As expensive as a battleship and as complicated as a Theatrophon. "

The Theatrophon early 20th century

With the expansion of state-owned telephone network, the number of users of the Theatrophons grew. It was possible to hear the transmissions of the Compagnie du Théâtrophone without additional receiver unit via the standard phone for a small license fee, but this is no longer possible stereophonic reception. Households that had only one phone port, could not receive phone calls during the transmission of Theatrophons.

The Swiss producer E. Paillard called his exclusive model a phonograph in 1899 " Théâtrophone ". After the early 20th century the phonograph had prevailed as the new entertainment medium, the receiver of the Theatrophons were increasingly demanding. A big drawback was the lack of possibility of gain. The electron tube was only in the experimental stage. The first mechanical telephone amplifier as the 1910 introduced Brownian relay switched speak another carbon microphone in the line, causing the distortion of the signal and the typical noise for music transfers were too large. Thus, the writer Marcel Proust, who was since 1911 a subscriber to the Theatrophons that he had once the restless theater audience confused because of poor sound quality in a break with a piece of music. On the other hand, inspired him a persecuted over the Theatrophon performance of Claude Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande so much that Proust this work his acquaintance further pile.

Spectacular actions were carried out both in France and in the UK to acquire new customers. On May 21, 1913 Producing a performance of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde from the Paris Opéra has been transferred, while the program of the London Alhambra Theatre was transferred to Paris in London. Especially in London made ​​this event a sensation and thus had the desired effect. The number of subscribers increased to over 2000 and grew even further when, after the outbreak of the First World War, thousands canceled their normal telephone lines and instead used the Electro Phone, to listen to the program of the Music Hall at the "home fire ". Even the British soldiers at the front was the principle of Electro Phones familiar, the Times reported in December 1914 that the soldiers enjoyed in the trenches of gramophone recordings that were transmitted over a distance of 8 miles with the help of field telephone.

In France, the interest in Theatrophon also remained undiminished. The Hotel Wagram was installed in 1914 Theatrophone in all rooms. Despite the use of increasingly more sensitive microphones, the Compagnie du Théâtrophone soon reached the limits of their capacity. The number of subscribers had to be limited, since the number and capacity of the usable on stages microphones no longer sufficient to meet demand. Only after 1923 by further technical improvements, the number of participants who were able to listen to a performance at the same time, increased significantly. The first tube amp allowed an increase in power, without increasing the microphones. By 1930, the headphones were increasingly replaced by speaker, so more than 300 people could be simultaneously connected to a single opera.

Competition from radio

The high popularity of Theatrophons the late 1920s was surprising, as were aired in Paris since 1921 regular radio programs. In London the situation was different. While the first shipments of 1920 went into operation Marconi station were no match for the Electro Phone due to the regular transmitter failures, originated with the founding of the BBC end of 1922 a serious opponent.

By 1910, the American inventor Lee De Forest had made ​​attempts to wirelessly transfer in accordance with the Theatrophon opera performances from the Metropolitan Opera. However, the quality of the transmission was still disappointing since that time crystal sets were common, which were difficult to adjust and low selectivity possessed. Only with the introduction of the powerful audio receiver end of the 1910s were music programs are transmitted in acceptable quality. As in London, an opera on the radio was broadcast on January 8, first time in 1923, responded Electro Phone Ltd. left, since it was assumed that there is still a long time would pass before the radio could reach the technical brilliance of the Electro Phones. In fact, the end of the Electro Phones came within two years; the operation was set on June 30, 1925.

In other countries, the transmission of music over the phone had enforced with varying degrees of success, but was also gradually replaced by the radio (see history of radio broadcasting ). In several European countries salons have been established under the name Pathephone in which music recordings from vinyl records were offered over telephone lines. In the United States existed from 1910 a similar system with phonograph recordings. Two years later Hírmondó was in the United States in line with the Hungarian Telephone founded with the New Jersey Telephone Herald its own telephone newspaper, but it was only short-lived. In Italy, the telephone newspaper l' Araldo Telefonico was founded already in 1910, joined in 1922 by the phone for wireless transmission and later merged into the new RAI. In Sweden, music transmissions over the normal telephone network were very popular at the beginning of the 20th century, as pursued in 1915 around 10,000 Stockholm at the same time a concert to the Swedish Children over the phone. By 1925, continue regular transfers took place, after which the radio took over this function.

In Paris, the Theatrophon held seven years longer. Further improvements to the speaker system made ​​sure that it could keep pace with the development of radio and both systems exist in parallel. In fact, one used for radio in its early years, the same technique for recording live events such as the Theatrophon. And in 1930, the President of the Compagnie du Théâtrophone was convinced that the Theatrophon is the simplest and most reliable technique for transmitting sound. But the independence of radio of solid lines in the transmission should ultimately be decisive, and with the talkies came to a competition, to the sound also provided the images to the public. In addition, the company as high copyright fees to SACEM had to pay now that she was no longer competitive. At the end of 1932, the Compagnie du Théâtrophone had to admit defeat and ended as before, the Electro Ltd. Phone. their service.

Similar technologies in succession

The Hungarian Telephone Hírmondó remained as a phone -based information and entertainment medium after the breakthrough of radio exist for a long time; the program this phone newspaper was continued until the 1940s. In Switzerland, the telephone radio from 1931 was used to supply the mountain regions with radio programs. As a technical improvement in the low-frequency transmission was replaced in 1940 by high- frequency transfer ( wire broadcasting on long wave). This radio could be received in parallel to the telephone calls over the same line. Only the introduction of ISDN and ADSL put this technology to an end. In Germany the wire radio was widespread during and shortly after the Second World War, in Italy it is as Filodiffusione still in use today.

Although the technique of Theatrophons was quickly forgotten, the idea of this sales channel for entertainment programs and their marketing long remained present. The Theatrophon was the first medium demonstrated the economic potential of home entertainment. In some hospitals, church services over the house phone are still available, and see today's media researchers in the Music Downloads realized the vision of Clément Ader.

Direct transfer of theater performances also included in the German speaking on the early history of radio as well as television. Since then the media have emancipated from the center of attention for the purpose of attention, the mission of theater without " media-friendly " treatment is avoided.

The tradition of Theatrophons was revived with the art project Dial-a- Diva in 2005, were offered in the world's musical performances over the phone. The project is part of the art program Stavanger 08 of the European Capital of Culture Stavanger in 2008. Too, Lisbon Teatro Nacional de São Carlos remembered his tradition by transferring the Opera Premiere The Tale of Emmanuel Nunes in January 2008 live in 14 Portuguese theaters and cinemas allowed. The Bayreuth Festival transferred in July 2008, a performance as a live stream on the Internet with the slogan: " Richard Wagner's vision becomes a reality. "