German record company Odeon is often said to have pioneered the album in 1909 when it released the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky on 4 double-sided discs in a specially designed package. (It is not indicated what size the records are.) However, Deutsche Grammophon had produced an album for its complete recording of the opera Carmen in the previous year. The practice of issuing albums does not seem to have been widely taken up by other record companies for many years; however, HMV provided an album, with a pictorial cover, for the 1917 recording of The Mikado (Gilbert & Sullivan). COUNT 4
QSN1 What was unique about Odeon's 1909 release of the Nutcracker Suite? ANS1 4 double-sided discs in a specially designed package QSN2 What was one of the first releases with a photo on the cover? ANS2 The Mikado (Gilbert & Sullivan) QSN3 When were albums said to be pioneered? ANS3 1909 QSN4 What was one of the very first albums released? ANS4 Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky