Lost Recordings of Musical Giants Found a Century Later

I find this NY Times article to be absolutely fascinating, more from the “Amazing Discovery!” department than from any deep knowledge of classical music. Early recordings made by classical music giants from the 1890-1920s, through Thomas Edison’s early efforts with the phonograph, have been located and set for commercial release after being in Russia for decades, and thought to be long lost. It brings a smile to my face to hear the enthusiasm with which the music historians and afficionados discuss this discovery, and I would imagine it would be quite a treat to the trained ear to hear how certain performers and composers actually sounded in their day, especially when it was taken for granted that no recordings of these individuals existed. The quality does not sound good enough that the casual fan would be interested in purchasing this, but it is still nonetheless a truly interesting story, kind of a "National Treasure" moment...