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 301-325 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 1925b 10-in. May 1902 Les deux grenadiers Pol Plançon Bass vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1939b 10-in. 5/30/1902 Ronde de veau d'or Pol Plançon Bass vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 1951c 12-in. 4/2/1909 I sacri nomi Celestina Boninsegna Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1952c 12-in. 4/2/1909 O cieli azzurri Celestina Boninsegna Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1957c 12-in. 4/5/1909 Questo Mar Rosso Ernesto Badini ; Gennaro De Tura ; Carlo Sabajno Vocal duet (tenor and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1961c 12-in. 4/6/1909 Mimi è una civetta Ernesto Badini ; Gennaro De Tura ; Laura Mellerio Vocal trio (soprano, tenor, and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1967c 12-in. 4/9/1909 Mimi, io son Ernesto Badini ; Dora Domar Vocal duet (soprano and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 1976c 12-in. 4/14/1909 Che facevi che dicevi Ernesto Badini ; Dora Domar ; Gino Giovanelli ; Annita Santoro Vocal quartet (2 sopranos, tenor, and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 2003c 12-in. 8/26/1910 Oy, u luzi, ta I pry beryozi Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ; Imperial Moscow Opera Chorus Bass vocal solo, with male vocal chorus (unaccompanied) recordist  
Gramophone 2004½c 12-in. 8/26/1910 I'll amuse my hostess ... Merry Shrovetide Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo and male vocal chorus, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2005c 12-in. 8/26/1910 Down Mother Volga Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ; Imperial Moscow Opera Chorus Bass vocal solo, with male chorus and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 2006½c 12-in. 8/26/1910 Nochen'ka Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo (unaccompanied) recordist  
Gramophone 2008½c 12-in. 8/29/1910 Seigneur, daignez permettre à votre humble servante Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ; M. A. Mikhaĭlova Vocal duet (soprano and bass), with orchestra and organ recordist  
Gramophone 2009c 12-in. 8/29/1910 Faust Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 2014c 12-in. 8/29/1910 The tempest rages Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2019c 12-in. 9/1/1910 Dubinushka, russkaya pesnya Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with vocal chorus recordist  
Gramophone 2020e[b 10-in. 4/17/1905 Recuerdas Banda Real Militar Band recordist  
Gramophone 2035b 10-in. 1902 Ah! Je ris, de me voir si belle Suzanne Adams Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone G2036b 10-in. 1902 Coquette Suzanne Adams Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone G2037b 10-in. 1902 Valse aria Suzanne Adams Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone G2058b 10-in. July 1902 Habanera Emma Calvé Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2060b 10-in. July 1902 Enchantement Emma Calvé Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2062b 10-in. July 1902 Seguidilla Emma Calvé Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone G2063b 10-in. July 1902 Voi lo sapete Emma Calvé Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2114b 10-in. 1902 O douce etoi Maurice Renaud Baritone vocal solo, with piano recordist  
(Results 301-325 of 1229 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaisberg, Frederick William," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

"Gaisberg, Frederick William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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