Frederick William Gaisberg

Frederick William Gaisberg (1 January 1873 – 2 September 1951) was an American musician, recording engineer and one of the earliest classical music producers for the gramophone. He himself did not use the term 'producer', and was not an impresario like his protégé Walter Legge of EMI or an innovator like John Culshaw of Decca. Gaisberg concentrated on talent-scouting and persuading performers to make recordings for the newly invented Gramophone.

Gaisberg began working in the recording industry in America as a young man, becoming a pioneer of early recording, and also worked as piano accompanist for the Berliner Gram-O-Phone Company, the inventors of the practical lateral-groove disc and associated playback apparatus, the Berliner Gramophone. In 1898, he joined the Gramophone Company in England as its first recording engineer. In 1902, he recorded music sung by the tenor Enrico Caruso and the recordings became a sensation. By 1921, Gaisberg was artistic director of HMV's 'international artistes' department. After 1925, he concentrated on artist management. In 1939, he retired from his position but continued as a consultant in the industry through the 1940s.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 1, 1873 (Washington, D.C.), Died September 2, 1951 (Hampstead)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1892 - 1920

Roles Represented in DAHR: recordist, composer, piano

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 226-250 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 1341c 12-in. approximately Oct. 1907 Prologo Titta Ruffo Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1354c 12-in. approximately 1907 Io son, Signore, un infelice Ernesto Badini ; Antonio Pini-Corsi Male vocal duet (2 baritones), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1355½c 12-in. approximately 1907 Del capitano alla salute Ernesto Badini ; Antonio Pini-Corsi ; Gaetano Pini-Corsi Male vocal trio (tenor, and 2 baritones), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1369c 12-in. 1907 Caro nome Graziella Pareto Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1386c 12-in. 1907 Ninna nanna Gaudio Mansueto Bass vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1389c 12-in. 1907 Quando rapita in estasi Graziella Pareto Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1390½c 12-in. 1907 Rondo Graziella Pareto Soprano vocal solo, with flute and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1393c 12-in. 1907 Si j'etais roi : Sinfonía Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1399½c 12-in. approximately 1907 L'incantatrice Maria Galvany Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1400c 12-in. 1907 Voci di primavera Graziella Pareto Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1401½c 12-in. 1907 Ah! non credea mirarti Graziella Pareto Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1417c 12-in. October 1907 Di pescatore ignobile Francesco Marconi Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1434c 12-in. 1907 Muta di Portici : Sinfonía Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1443c 12-in. May 1908 Prendi, l'anel ti dono Fernando De Lucia ; Maria Galvany Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1450c 12-in. May 1908 Maggio Maria Galvany Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1451½c 12-in. May 1908 Dinorah Maria Galvany Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1454c 12-in. May 1908 Spargi d'amaro pianto Maria Galvany Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1455½c 12-in. May 1908 Aria delle campanelle Maria Galvany Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1456c 12-in. May 1908 Sempre libera Reno Andreini ; Maria Galvany Vocal duet (soprano-tenor), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1458c 12-in. May 1908 Spirto gentil Gennaro De Tura Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1479¾c 12-in. 1908 Re dell'abisso Karolina Pietraszewska Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1490c 12-in. 1908 La traviata Aristodemo Giorgini Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1506½c 12-in. 1908 So anch'io la virtù magica Olimpia Boronat Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1507c 12-in. 1908 Tutte le feste al tempio Olimpia Boronat Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1513c 12-in. 1908 Restate quí Federico Federici ; Antonio Pini-Corsi ; RiccardoTegani ; Elisa Tromben Vocal quartet (soprano, tenor, and 2 baritones), with chorus and orchestra recordist  
(Results 226-250 of 1229 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaisberg, Frederick William," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

"Gaisberg, Frederick William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625

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