Ave Maria

Brooks/Rust notes: "This historic recording was made on two cylinders at the Vatican on February 5, 1903, by phonograph inventor and entrepreneur Gianni Bettini for his Société des Microphonographers Bettini of Paris, and leased to Columbia for limited release in the U.S. Made only five months before the death of 93-year old Leo XIII, they represent the first recording of a Pontiff. An announcement in the June, 1905 Columbia Record includes a certificate of authenticity signed by Cardinal Pecci (who was present at the recording), an English translation of the text, and the statement that the recordings would be available as cylinders only, for the modest price of $2 each. According to the Columbia files this disc master was dubbed from the cylinders, but neither cylinders nor disc were listed in catalogs and no original copies of the disc have been found. (Test pressings exist at the Library of Congress). An article about the recordings appeared in 'The Hillandale News' No. 186, June, 1992."