David, a virtuoso pianist, has picked up his share of traditional melodies and folk songs on music-collecting trips through America’s backcountry. Generations of history are wrought in the folk melodies they record to wax cylinders using a bulky Edison phonograph. Although, given the film’s utterly peaceful pace, not everyone will want to trek through repeat viewings with Lionel and David. Even in a single viewing, however, the movie’s poignant climax packs an emotional punch that strikes the resonant chord of a star-crossed romance ahead of its time. The History of Sound (★★★★☆) is rated R, and is now playing in theaters nationwide.