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 801-825 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 10587b 10-in. 1907 Casta diva Josephina Huguet Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10601b 10-in. June 1907 Son quà Teatro alla Scala Coro Chorus, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10608b 10-in. June 1907 Scena della finestra Clara Joanna ; Antonio Pini-Corsi Vocal duet (soprano and bass), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10609b 10-in. ca. June 1907 Versa il filtro nella tazza sua Francesco Cigada ; Josephina Huguet ; Antonio Paoli ; Gaetano Pini-Corsi Vocal quartet (soprano, 2 tenors, and baritone), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10610b 10-in. June 1907 Albatro Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10613b 10-in. June 1907 Restó cosí nel fascino Carmen Melis Female vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10634b 10-in. June 1907 Vago ricordo Ida Giacomelli Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10636b 10-in. June 1907 Figlio del mar Carmen Melis Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10638b 10-in. June 1907 Guarda, Don Bartolo Ernesto Badini ; Josephina Huguet ; Antonio Pini-Corsi ; Gaetano Pini-Corsi Vocal quartet (soprano, tenor, and 2 baritones), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10639b 10-in. June 1907 Son tradito Ernesto Badini ; Josephina Huguet ; Antonio Pini-Corsi ; Gaetano Pini-Corsi Vocal quartet (soprano, tenor, and 2 baritones), with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10641b 10-in. June 1907 Io voglio il piacere Gaetano Pini-Corsi ; Aristodemo Sillich Vocal duet (tenor and bass) recordist  
Gramophone 10645b 10-in. June 1907 Regnava nel silenzio Josephina Huguet Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10646b 10-in. June 1907 Quando rapita in estasi Josephina Huguet Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10647b 10-in. June 1907 O luce di quest’anima Josephina Huguet Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10649½b 10-in. June 1907 Finale dell' opera Clara Joanna ; Nina Rambelli Vocal duet (contralto and baritone), with vocal chorus and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10650b 10-in. approximately Jun. 1907 Si, io t'amo Antonio Paoli Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10660b 10-in. June 1907 Strofe di Hun-Ci Ernesto Badini Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10668b 10-in. June 1907 O mia Mimosa Gaetano Pini-Corsi Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10670b 10-in. June 1907 Madonna ascolta Carmen Melis Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10672b 10-in. June 1907 Si, dannato morró Giuseppe Taccani Male vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 10679b 10-in. June 1907 Al telefono Dramatic group (unidentified; Gramophone Co.) Comic scene recordist  
Gramophone 10680b 10-in. approximately June 1907 La macchina parlante Dramatic group (unidentified; Gramophone Co.) Comic scene recordist  
Gramophone 10689b 10-in. 6/1/1907 In brianza Unidentified performer(s) (Gramophone Co.) Dramatic scene recordist  
Gramophone 10706b 10-in. October 1907 O aetos P. Zorbanis Male vocal solo, with violin and santur recordist  
Gramophone 10710b 10-in. Oct. 1907 O grivas Compagnie P. Zorbanis Chorus, with orchestra recordist  
(Results 801-825 of 1229 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaisberg, Frederick William," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

"Gaisberg, Frederick William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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