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 351-375 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 2651f 12-in. 10/19/1908 Norwegian wedding march Wilhelm Backhaus Piano solo recordist  
Gramophone 2680½c 12-in. 10/19/1912 O give me oblivion Dmitriĭ Alekseevich Smirnov Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 2701b 10-in. 10/26/1902 Serenade Jan Kubelík Violin solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2703b 10-in. 10/26/1902 Sextette Jan Kubelík Violin solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2705e 10-in. Oct. 1905 Eugen Onegin : Romans John Forsell Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 2820b 10-in. Nov. 1902 Demonio : Aria Eugenio Giraldoni Baritone vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2822b 10-in. Nov. 1902 Aria della morte Eugenio Giraldoni Baritone vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2838b 10-in. Nov. 1902 Donna non vidi mai Edoardo Garbin Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2843b 10-in. Nov. 1902 Una vergine Edoardo Garbin Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2853b 10-in. November 1902 Guì, guì Berardo Cantalamessa Male vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 2861b 10-in. Nov. 1902 L'ideale Fernando de Lucia Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2863b 10-in. Nov. 1902 La donna è mobile Fernando de Lucia Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2864b 10-in. Nov. 1902 Il barbiere di Siviglia : Aria Fernando De Lucia Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2868b 10-in. Oct. 1903 Recondita armonia Fernando de Lucia Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2870b 10-in. Nov. 1902 Il sogno Fernando de Lucia Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2873b 10-in. 11/30/1902 Celeste Aïda Enrico Caruso Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2874b 10-in. 11/30/1902 Cielo e mar Enrico Caruso Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2875b 10-in. 11/30/1902 Vesti la giubba Enrico Caruso Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2876b 10-in. 11/30/1902 Siciliana Enrico Caruso Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2877b 10-in. 11/30/1902 Non t'amo più Enrico Caruso Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2879b 10-in. December 1902 La mia canzone Enrico Caruso Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2882b 10-in. December 1902 Luna fedel Enrico Caruso Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2884b 10-in. Oct. 1903 O casto flor Giuseppe De Luca Baritone vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2886b 10-in. ca. Dec. 1902 Eri tu che macciavi quell' anima Giuseppe De Luca Baritone vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 2887b 10-in. Dec. 1902 Come il romito fior Giuseppe De Luca Baritone vocal solo, with piano recordist  
(Results 351-375 of 1229 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaisberg, Frederick William," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

"Gaisberg, Frederick William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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