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 776-800 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 10442½b 10-in. May 1907 'A scurita I Figli di Ciro Male vocal solo, with vocal ensemble and instrumental ensemble recordist  
Gramophone 10449b 10-in. May 1907 Parola quinta Padre Attilio Canciello Male vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 10450b 10-in. May 1907 Ave Maria Padre Attilio Canciello Male vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 10451b 10-in. approximately May 1907 A calamità I Figli di Ciro Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble recordist  
Gramophone 10453b 10-in. May 1907 Cicirenella I Figli di Ciro Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble recordist  
Gramophone 10454b 10-in. May 1907 Aprite la finestra I Figli di Ciro Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble recordist  
Gramophone 10456b 10-in. May 1907 Stabat mater Padre Attilio Canciello Male vocal solo, with organ recordist  
Gramophone 10457b 10-in. May 1907 Salutaris ostie Padre Attilio Canciello Male vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 10458b 10-in. May 1907 Tarantella ciociara Peppino Villani Male vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10513b 10-in. approximately May 1907 Obbligato, obbligato Ernesto Badini ; Fernando De Lucia Vocal duet (tenor and baritone), with piano recordist  
Gramophone 10515b 10-in. May 1907 Il sogno Fernando De Lucia ; Carlo Sabajno Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 10516b 10-in. May 1907 Toreador Francesco Cigada ; Josephina Huguet ; Ines Salvador Vocal trio (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and baritone), with chorus and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10518b 10-in. May 1907 Se tu m’ami Francesco Cigada ; Ines Salvador Vocal duet (mezzo-soprano and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10519b 10-in. approximately May 1907 Di geloso amor sprezzato Francesco Cigada ; Clara Joanna ; Antonio Paoli Vocal trio (soprano, tenor, and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10521b 10-in. approximately May 1907 Figlia miei, v'arrestate Antonio Paoli Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10522b 10-in. approximately May 1907 Re del cielo e de'beati Antonio Paoli ; Teatro alla Scala Coro Tenor vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10548b 10-in. 1907 Ma tu sfiorata di rugiada gentil Titta Ruffo Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10549b 10-in. 1907 Disse il saggio Titta Ruffo Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10551b 10-in. 1907 Se tradirni tu potrai Francesco Cigada ; Josephina Huguet Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10553b 10-in. 1907 Turiddu, mi tolse l'onore Clara Joanna ; Renzo Minolfi Vocal duet (soprano and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10555b 10-in. 1907 Ad essi io non perdono Clara Joanna ; Renzo Minolfi Vocal duet (soprano and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10570b 10-in. 1907 Il cavallo scalpita Renzo Minolfi Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10582b 10-in. 1907 Deserto sulla terra Fortunio Sancovy Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10585½b 10-in. 1907 O figlio d’inghilterra Francesco Cigada ; Josephina Huguet ; Ines Salvador ; Aristodemo Sillich ; Teatro alla Scala Coro Mixed vocal quartet, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10586b 10-in. 1907 Vado, corro Ernesto Badini ; Josephina Huguet Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra recordist  
(Results 776-800 of 1229 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaisberg, Frederick William," accessed May 3, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 3, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

"Gaisberg, Frederick William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 3 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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