I'm not sure if many of you know but I ton of 19th century figures did live long enough to be recorded for posterity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8I9BtL- ... XRfBldJlOg
Composer Edvard Grieg (who wrote the famous "Hall of the Mountain King" plays "Til Vaaren" (To Spring)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXL3I7GPCY
Johannes Brahms plays one of his Hungarian Dances
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYot5-WuAjE
Robert Browning, arguably the premier poet of 19th century recites "How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DEEdFLjUiw
One of my favorite composers ever, Tchaikowsky speaks into the cylinder. As a bonus, Anton Rubinstein (himself very accomplished in the Russian music scene of the time) also talks.
Love hearing history like this.