# Music Record and Opera News

> American magazine

**Wikidata**: [Q101067860](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q101067860)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/music-record-and-opera-news

## Summary
Music Record and Opera News was a specialized American periodical published in the early 1920s dedicated to classical music and recorded sound. Established in March 1921, it served as a focused successor publication to *The Opera News*, continuing under the stewardship of the Philadelphia-based retailer Wanamaker's until its discontinuation in May 1924.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Name**: Music Record and Opera News
- **Type**: Magazine / Periodical Publication
- **Predecessor**: The Opera News
- **Inception Date**: March 1921 (1921-03-00)
- **Discontinuation Date**: May 1924 (1924-05-00)
- **Publisher**: Wanamaker’s
- **Headquarters Location**: Philadelphia, United States
- **Primary Subject Matter**: Classical music, recorded music
- **Country of Origin**: United States
- **Language**: English

## FAQs
**What was Music Record and Opera News?**
Music Record and Opera News was an American magazine focused on the coverage of classical music and the emerging recorded music industry.

**Who published Music Record and Opera News?**
The magazine was published by Wanamaker’s, a prominent department store chain based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

**How long was Music Record and Opera News in circulation?**
The periodical was published for a relatively short duration, commencing in March 1921 and ceasing publication in May 1924.

## Why It Matters
Music Record and Opera News serves as a historical case study in the intersection of retail, media, and the gramophone industry during the early 20th century. Published by Wanamaker’s—a major retail entity—it exemplifies how department stores once played a direct role in cultural dissemination and music journalism, particularly in promoting the sale of phonographs and records. As a specialized publication bridging *The Opera News* and the broader recorded music landscape, it chronicled a critical period of technological and cultural transition as recorded sound moved from a novelty to a central medium for experiencing classical music in the United States.

## Notable For
- **Specialized Niche**: Specifically catered to audiences interested in the intersection of classical repertoire and the technology of recorded sound.
- **Corporate Publisher**: Distinguished by being a house publication of Wanamaker’s, a major American department store, rather than an independent press entity.
- **Short Publication Run**: Had a distinct, three-year operational window in the early 1920s, providing a snapshot of media trends post-World War I.
- **Sequential Identity**: Served as a direct follow-up to *The Opera News*, indicating an evolution in editorial focus toward recorded formats.

## Body
### Publication History
Music Record and Opera News was established in March of 1921. It was positioned as a successor to a previous title, *The Opera News*, suggesting a strategic shift or rebranding to encompass a broader scope of music delivery via recordings. The magazine had a concise lifespan, distributing its final issue in May of 1924.

### Publisher and Operations
The entity behind the magazine was Wanamaker’s, the famous Philadelphia-based department store retailer. The headquarters and editorial operations were centered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This aligns with a broader historical trend of the era where large retailers published house organs or specialized magazines to promote their wares—specifically phonographs, gramophone records, and home entertainment systems—to the emerging middle-class consumer base.

### Content and Scope
As its title suggests, the magazine's primary editorial focus was twofold: **Classical Music** and **Recorded Music**. It likely featured reviews of new record releases, articles on opera singers and composers, and guidance for consumers on building record libraries. It operated entirely in the English language and was a product of the United States, reflecting the growing domestic market for classical recordings in the early 1920s.

### Context as a Periodical
Functionally, the entity is classified as a **magazine**, a type of periodical mass media publication typically distributed at regular intervals. By definition, it served as a platform for communicating information and cultural content to a wide audience, specifically targeting enthusiasts of the high-culture music scene. Its existence highlights the role of print media in supporting the ecosystem of physical media formats (like the 78 rpm record) that defined the audio landscape of the 1920s.