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 251-275 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 1514c 12-in. 1908 Mi raccomando Federico Federici ; Elisa Tromben Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1523b 10-in. July 1902 Casey as a doctor Russell Hunting Monologue recordist  
Gramophone 1570½c 12-in. 1908 Domo, o ciel, da uno straniero Nestore della Torre Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1575b 10-in. Feb. 1902 Tobermory Harry Lauder Male vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1651b 10-in. 1902 Nel fiero anelito Carlo Caffetto Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1686g 10-in. approximately 1902 Siciliana Carlo Caffetto Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1708c 12-in. 1/24/1909 Sahil Guefoun Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo, with oud and violin recordist  
Gramophone 1709c 12-in. 1/24/1909 Sahil Gefoun Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo, with oud and violin recordist  
Gramophone 1718½c 12-in. 1/24/1909 Hazzel hayat Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 1719½c 12-in. 1/24/1909 Hazzel hayat Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 1720½c 12-in. 1/24/1909 Hazzel hayat Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 1721c 12-in. 1/24/1909 Ya laylou inn - El habiba Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 1728c 12-in. 1/28/1909 Taksim layali Abd-el-Hai Effendi Helmi Male vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 1729c 12-in. 1/28/1909 Ya hadiyal eis Abd-el-Hai Effendi Helmi Male vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 1748b 10-in. 4/3/1902 Laudate pueri Dominum, part 2 Antonio Comandini ; Coro di Ragazzi Male vocal solo and chorus, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1749b 10-in. 4/3/1902 Laudate pueri Dominum, part 3 Antonio Comandini ; Coro di Ragazzi Tenor vocal solo and chorus, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1749c 12-in. 1/30/1909 El-helwe lamma Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo, with oud and violin recordist  
Gramophone 1750b 10-in. Apr. 1902 Laudate pueri Dominum Antonio Comandini Tenor vocal solo, with vocal chorus and piano recordist  
Gramophone 1750c 12-in. 1/30/1909 El-helwe lamma Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo, with oud and violin recordist  
Gramophone 1755b 10-in. Apr. 1902 Crucifixus Alessandro Moreschi Male soprano (castrato) vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1757c 12-in. 1/30/1909 En chakowt Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo, with oud and violin recordist  
Gramophone 1758c 12-in. 1/30/1909 En chakowt Cheikh Youssef El Manialawi Male vocal solo, with oud and violin recordist  
Gramophone 1759b 10-in. 4/5/1902 Ave verum Sistine Chapel Choir Male vocal chorus and vocal quartet, unaccompanied recordist  
Gramophone 1760b 10-in. Apr. 1902 Intonouit do Coelo Sistine Chapel Choir Vocal chorus, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1782b 10-in. 4/11/1902 Studenti, udite Enrico Caruso Tenor vocal solo, with piano accompaniment recordist  
(Results 251-275 of 1229 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaisberg, Frederick William," accessed May 8, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 8, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

"Gaisberg, Frederick William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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