The history of electronic music (19th century to 1950s)

This is part 1 in a curated collection of resources that tell the history of electronic music, compiled for the members of the Electronic Music Lab (EML). If you’re interested in learning more about electronic music, follow us on Medium, Twitter (@emusiclab), Instagram (@emusiclab) or Facebook.

Electronic music is defined as any music involving electronic processing, such as recording and editing on tape, and whose reproduction involves the use of loudspeakers; for a piece of music to be electronic, its composer must anticipate the electronic processing subsequently applied to his or her musical concept, so that the final product reflects in some way the composer’s interaction with the medium.(Britannica)

Read about the first electronic music instruments from the 19th century, to electroacoustic tape music and musique concrète in the 1940s, to the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the 1950s, at https://brainvoyagermusic.com/history-of-electronic-music/

More reading: Electronic Music: History, Types & Artists — from Study.com

Video resources

The New Sound of Music - BBC Documentary 1977

Geffen Records — History of Electronic Music