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 51-75 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 369aj 12-in. 8/1/1911 L'ora è fissata Vittorio De Goetzen Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 375aj 12-in. 8/2/1911 Dal labbro il canto vola estasiato Maria Passeri ; Giuseppe Tommasini Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 384aj 12-in. 8/5/1911 Alla stella confidente Giuseppina Bonetti Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 394aj 12-in. 10/10/1911 Devaneio campestre Banda da Guarda Republicana de Lisboa Band recordist  
Gramophone 395aj 12-in. 10/10/1911 Devaneio campestre Banda da Guarda Republicana de Lisboa Band recordist  
Gramophone 405c 12-in. 10/20/1904 Chant hindou Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 443aj 12-in. 12/20/1911 Voi lo sapete, o mamma Condestita Clari Di Milani Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 453aj 12-in. 1/20/1912 Danza de Anitra núm. 3 Banda del Real Cuerpo de Guardias Alabarderos de Madrid Band recordist  
Gramophone 459aj 12-in. 9/2/1912 O monumento! Titta Ruffo Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 461aj 12-in. 9/2/1912 Pescator, affonda l’esca Titta Ruffo Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 463aj 12-in. 9/3/1912 Largo al factotum Titta Ruffo Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 464aj 12-in. 9/3/1912 Dai canti d'amore (Canzone) Titta Ruffo Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 467aj 12-in. 9/3/1912 Pagliacci : Prologo Titta Ruffo Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 468aj 12-in. 9/6/1912 Ugonotti : Preludio Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 469aj 12-in. 9/14/1912 Gioconda : Preludio Acto I Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 472aj 12-in. 9/15/1912 Tristan e Isolde : Preludio Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 474aj 12-in. 9/17/1912 Vedete, io son fedele Ebe Boccolini ; Luca Botta Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 475aj 12-in. 9/17/1912 O tentatrice Ebe Boccolini ; Luca Botta Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 476aj 12-in. 9/17/1912 Mia madre vedo ancor Ebe Boccolini ; Luca Botta Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 477aj 12-in. 9/17/1912 Mefistofele : Serenata Ebe Boccolini ; Luca Botta ; Giulia Martinengo Vocal trio (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 479aj 12-in. 9/19/1912 Norma : Sinfonia Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 481aj 12-in. 9/19/1912 Giunto sul passo estremo Luca Botta ; Giuseppe Tisci-Rubini Vocal duet (tenor and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 487aj 12-in. 9/21/1912 Ha he, fissa li timone Teatro alla Scala Coro Chorus recordist  
Gramophone 490aj 12-in. 9/25/1912 Resta immobile Vittorio Bellabarba Baritone vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 492aj 12-in. 9/25/1912 Amore! Misterio! Luca Botta ; Irene Sollohub Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with chorus and orchestra recordist  
(Results 51-75 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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