Wikipedia:Featured sound candidates/February 2009

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Audio recording of Chief Justice John G. Roberts and Barack Obama messing up their lines as they recite the Oath of office of the President of the United States. Has been commented on in numerous news items on television, and on websites of newspapers. Some scholars and constitutional lawyers have suggested Obama needs to retake the Oath again, correctly, otherwise he may not actually be President. I think this has high encyclopedic value.

Appears in Oath of office of the President of the United StatesJohn G. Roberts, and Barack Obama 2009 presidential inauguration.



Promoted Barack Obama Oath of Office.ogg --Xclamation point 01:30, 2 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

My first FSC. I recorded this today from the United States Congress Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies website's live webcast.

Appears in Barack Obama 2009 presidential inauguration and United States presidential inauguration



Promoted Barack Obama inauguration speech 2009.ogg --Xclamation point 01:30, 2 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This is an unusual nomination. Not only do we have a sound file of the address, we have a color video of the address, which was just coming into use at the time. We already have a featured sound for the inaugural address, but the video makes this event much more important. This has also replaced the old video on Inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, which was in black and white, and did not have the famous quote "And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

  • Nominate and support. Xclamation point 04:18, 19 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support; I have seen videos up for WP:FPC, but in regards to sound, it sounds very good. On my speakers it's more or less crisp, although obviously has the disadvantage of being recorded by equipment of that time. JonCatalán(Talk) 20:09, 19 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment Suggest change of venue to FPC. They promote videos. Would gladly support there. DurovaCharge! 18:33, 20 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    • There is a featured video on FS too, so it can be nominated both places. On this specific video, sound is more important than video, so this seems like the correct venue. Xclamation point 22:53, 20 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
      • Yes - I'd say we either need a special WP:FV or just nominate under whichever is the main focus - in this case, the sound. Dendodge TalkContribs 23:55, 20 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
        • Maybe we'll reach the point where videos merit their own category. For the benefit of the site's users it's much easier to search one content type than two. If I had noticed any other video nomination here I'd have opposed for the same reason. Purely procedurally; would proudly support in the other venue. DurovaCharge! 08:28, 21 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
          • Since the nominator is unwilling to act on the suggestion, oppose procedurally. Balkanizing videos is not a good way to organize material for the site's visitors. FPC has been promoting videos since before any were nominated here. DurovaCharge! 19:24, 25 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oppose How is this any different from File:JFK inaugural address.ogg? If we already have a audio recording featured, then why would we feature a video recording of the same audio recording? It's like featuring the exact same thing, one just has video to go along with it. And since this is WP:FS, the video part has little (if any) bearing on how we judge the nomination. The FS criteria are written specifically for the sound quality and is not meant to assess the visual quality of a recording. And to Dendodge, if we state the "main focus" of this recording is the sound, then we already have that recording featured, as stated above. I agree with Durova, please change the venue. « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 05:14, 21 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Again I agree with Durova above, I would most likely support this in another venue. « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 12:11, 21 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]


Promoted John F. Kennedy Inauguration Speech.ogv -- PeterSymonds (talk) 19:36, 2 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

"Only one recording of these survive, the duet "Sì, pel ciel" from Otello. It is considered by many vocal connoisseurs to be the greatest single vocal record ever made. Among many other vocal feats in this recording, Ruffo, unlike any other Iago on records, manages an incredible, declamatory vocal style from beginning to end. Caruso rises to the challenge, and the result is unequalled by any other recorded tenor-baritone combination in recorded history." - Titta Ruffo.


Promoted Enrico Caruso, Titta Ruffo, Giuseppe Verdi, Sì, pel ciel marmoreo giuro! (Otello).ogg --Dendodge TalkContribs 22:28, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]


I have been looking for a public domain recording of a Reagan speech on the internet, and this is the first one I found. We have no historic recordings featured between Carter and George W. Bush.


Promoted Ronald Reagan First Inaugural.ogg


An excellent duet, gives us both a file for a major opera and a major singer which didn't have one before. Plus, it's one of the better-preserved historical recordings.


Promoted Caruso, Journet, Charles Gounod's Faust, 'O merveille! ... A moi les plaisirs'.ogg


I think it highly interesting to compare the operas. Although I was unable to remove some geiger-counter like distortion at two (thankfully brief) points near the end, I think that the educational benefit of hearing an otherwise decent recording of such a rare opera win out. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 04:39, 12 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]



Not promoted --Xclamation point 20:37, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

While there's a little hiss, the powerful contralto voice shines through. We have no other contralto works in featured sounds, and I think that this is a huge shame, that should be corrected as soon as possible.



Promoted Gabriella Besanzoni, Giuseppi Verdi, Stride la vampa (Il Trovatore).ogg --Xclamation point 20:52, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This speech is in the artilces 2002 State of the Union Address, and axis of evil.

  • Nominate and support. Zginder 2009-01-29T03:56Z (UTC)
  • Support: This is historically significant, and of good quality. I see no reason not to make this a featured sound. *Dendodge TalkContribs 00:50, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support - It's actually really quite interesting to see just how much has changed in 7 years - Guantamano Bay being mentioned and applauded? The Iraq war already being set up, and being applauded? The weapons of mass destruction argument for Iraq, the axis of evil - the context have changed so much for all of these. Something that will be discussed and endlessly excerpted by generations of historians. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 01:23, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]



Promoted Gwbush2002stateoftheunion.ogg Xclamation point 20:50, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Ronald Reagan's challenge from the Berlin Wall to end the Cold War. Appears at Foreign policy of the Reagan administration, Brandenburg Gate, and Tear down this wall.



Promoted Reagan Brandenburg Gate speech.ogg Xclamation point 20:47, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Speech from 16 September 1974. Transcript at Wikisource. Appears at Presidency of Gerald Ford.



Promoted Gerald Ford Vietnam clemency speech.ogg. Xclamation point 20:42, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not the easiest restoration, but I think it came out pretty good, and we had neither a recording for Amato, nor and vocal music for Carmen or Bizet.

Note: Here and here are two different restorations of the same recording (just for comparison). --Vejvančický (talk) 20:47, 30 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The first is the one this was cleaned from. I'm actually rather glad I found this recording - historic recordings of Carmen are surprisingly bad on the whole, and this is easily the best PD recording I was able to find.
If someone wanted to make a CC-recording of an opera, Carmen would be a good choice - I haven't been able to find any other song from it that even approaches "acceptable" in recording and performance quality. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 02:10, 31 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]



Promoted. Xclamation point 20:38, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A quartet where every one of the performers is a star in their own right. While it has the flaws typical of early recordings, I nonetheless think this is an excellent version of the piece, exciting and fun.




Promoted Enrico Caruso, Bessie Abott, Louise Homer, Antonio Scotti, Giuseppe Verdi, Bella figlia dell' amore (Rigoletto).ogg Xclamation point 20:55, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Per WP:Fair use, fair use content can't be transcluded except in articles. The sound has been removed.

This recording was originally created by Tennessee Ernie Ford, but I have trimmed it so that it is only a small bit, the chorus of the song. This is the original version, which features Ernie ford and no later version of the song exists, making this, not rare, but not an easily found hardcopy. It appears here.


Not promoted -- PeterSymonds (talk) 21:18, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]