In 2006-2008 the International Research Centre for Traditional polyphony realized the project “Echoes from the Past – Transmission of wax cylinder collections on digital media” with financial support of Georgian Ministry of Culture, Monument Protection and Sport, and support of Vienna phonogrammarchiv; as part of the project Mr. Franz Lechleitner of Vienna Phonogrammarchiv visited Georgia twice and with his device transmitted the Georgian folk songs from wax cylinders to digital media. This was followed by the publication of the catalogue and 16 audio CDs in three stages. The recordings underwent minimal processing in order to maintain initial sounding at most, which increases scientific value of the publication and grants it original meaning.
The catalogue provides detailed information about the songs on the wax cylinders reserved in Georgia: location of the collection, recorder, cylinder number in the collection, place of recording, names of performers, notes of recorders and catalogue authors.
Stage I – 4 CDs contain materials from Dimitri Araqishvili’s (recorded in 1923) and Shalva Mshvelidze’s (recorded in 1920 and 1931) wax cylinder collections preserved in the funds of the State Museum of Theatre, Cinema, Music and Choreography.
Stage II – 6 CDs, contain materials from Shalva Mshvelidze’s collection (Guria – 1931, Achara – 1932, Meskhet-Javakheti – 1933) preserved at the State Museum of Theatre, Cinema, Music and Choreography; collections of Sergi Zhghenti (1940); unknown recorder (1946); Shalva Aslanishvili (Svaneti- 1946, Mtatusheti – 1947, Pshav-Khevsureti – 1948, Khevi, Gudamaqari and Racha – 1949); Tamar Mamaladze (Kakheti – 1950 and 1951) preserved in the fund of I. Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology.
The last Stage III– 6 CDs, contain audio material from the following collections:
State Museum of Art and Culture of Achara Autonomous Republic (presumably from Aleksandre Partskhaladze’s expeditions); Central Archive of Film-Photo-Phono Documents of the State Department of Archives and Records Management of Georgia (supposedly from Evgeny Gippius’ expeditions); Simon Janashia National Museum of Georgia and Georgian Folk Myusic laboratory of V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire (Grigol Chkhikvadze’s expedition to Meskhet-Javakheti and Khevsureti, Vladimer Akhobadze’s expedition to Svaneti and Samegrelo).
