More on the Mystery cylinder

After some brief comment section discussion this morning and telephone conversation last evening, it would seem that this mystery cylinder from my last post has some more interesting theories about it. After listening to this cylinder many times, it would seem that this cylinder might be the inevitable possibility that I spoke of yesterday. Of the many possible theories, this cylinder could be an exhibition souvenir, which would date it to 1898 exactly, and that would make sense considering the song the was recorded, and the musicians possibly involved. 

Here's the cylinder just to refresh:

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder5303

It's still very strange to me, as there's so many things that aren't right about this cylinder. The balance is really awful on it, the room sounds very strange and unusual for recording, and the announcer is very far away. Also, the fact that there isn't any identification of a company anywhere is also very weird. It really sounds like the setup seen in these two pictures: 

The setup is a little harder to see in the first picture, but it's the same as is in the latter. It's just very strange and amazing that any sort of exhibition-made cylinder would survive, but anything is possible. I have held records from this period in my hands that aren't supposed to exist, so if that just happens to be what this cylinder is, well, there ya go! 

The balance of the piano sounds like it is in the second picture just above, as it's not on the same side as it usually would be at Columbia. Usually, if you're in the perspective of the horn(s), the piano would be left, with it tilted at an angle similar to the picture just above, just reversed. The balance on this record sounds like it is just above, with the piano on the right and tilted the other way, also higher up off the ground. Hylands is at least four feet from the floor in the picture above, whereas in usual sessions, he would be at about three feet up. 

It must be noted that the announcer is at least six or seven feet away from the horns, which is very far away for an announcer, and that the piano is much louder than the announcement, which is very strange. 

I now have the feeling that Hylands might be at that piano, and the only reason is because of how pushy the rhythm is in that odd minor section(which is in none of the other 1890's recordings of this song...), and also by the overall rhythm, which is too good for it to be Fred Gaisberg. It has a sort of Hylands "feel" to it, even if it's the farthest thing from Rag-Time. 

The rhythm at the minor section of this is really where that "feel" comes through very well, and the sound of the piano is very "1890's", as pianos in studios after 1900 just didn't have that sound for some reason. This record has a very distinctly Columbia sound, and does not at all sound like an Edison cylinder to me. 
The slight fading at the end of the cylinder also makes me think it's a Columbia of some kind, as Tom Clark often did that fading thing at the end of his cornet solos with the Columbia orchestra in the late-1890's, such as on their 1898 takes of "Schubert's Serenade". Notice! The sound of the piano on the takes, it's similar to the mystery cylinder, though it's more so on the second one listed. 

Well, there's not much more I can say here, but I am still looking out for some guesses! This is really an interesting and strange recording, that maybe we will get to the bottom of it some day! 

Hope you enjoyed this!