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 501-525 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 7070b 10-in. 1905 Pietoso al par d’un nume Clotilde Esposito ; Gino Martinez-Patti Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with piano recordist  
Gramophone 7105b 10-in. 1905 Sogno soave e casto Giuseppe Acerbi Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7107b 10-in. 1905 Per me ora fatale Ernesto Caronna Baritone vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7115b 10-in. 1905 Sull’orlo dei tetti Giuseppe Torres de Luna Bass vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7118b 10-in. 1905 Un testimonio al Processo Murri Unidentified performer(s) (Gramophone Co.) Comic scene recordist  
Gramophone 7123b 10-in. approximately Apr. 1905 Una lezione di canto Unidentified performer(s) (Gramophone Co.) Comic scene recordist  
Gramophone 7135b 10-in. 1905 Rischiarata è la finestra Teatro alla Scala Coro Chorus, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7136b 10-in. 1905 Un dramma sotto la coda Dramatic group (unidentified; Gramophone Co.) Comic scene recordist  
Gramophone 7139b 10-in. ca. 1905 La cornacchia del Canadà Teatro alla Scala Coro Vocal chorus, with guitar recordist  
Gramophone 7141b 10-in. approximately 1905 In Brianza Unidentified performer(s) (Gramophone Co.) Comic scene recordist  
Gramophone 7147b 10-in. 1905 O tu che l’alma adora Gino Martinez-Patti Tenor vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7149b 10-in. 1905 Questa o quella Giuseppe Acerbi Male vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 7150b 10-in. approximately April 1905 Di pescatore ignobile Giuseppe Acerbi Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 7201½b 10-in. 9/4/1905 Auld lang syne Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with band and chorus recordist  
Gramophone 7202½b 10-in. 9/4/1905 Come back to Erin Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with band recordist  
Gramophone 7203b 10-in. 9/4/1905 Old folks at home Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with vocal trio and piano recordist  
Gramophone 7204b 10-in. 9/4/1905 Good night Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with vocal trio and piano recordist  
Gramophone 7205b 10-in. 9/4/1905 Away on the hill there runs a stream Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 7297b 10-in. 1905 Tacea la notte placida Lucia Crestani Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7298b 10-in. 1905 D'amor sull' ali rosee Lucia Crestani Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7302b 10-in. 1905 Stride la vampa Lina Mileri Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7303b 10-in. 1905 Fuggitivo e tremante Cesare Preve Bass vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7304½b 10-in. 1905 Mira, d'acerbe lagrime Celestina Boninsegna ; Francesco Cigada Vocal duet (soprano and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7308b 10-in. approximately 1905 Le parlate d’amor Emma Zaccaria Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 7309b 10-in. 1905 La vergine degli Angeli Celestina Boninsegna ; Teatro alla Scala Coro Soprano vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra recordist  
(Results 501-525 of 1229 records)

Citation

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

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 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 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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