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 851-875 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 10960b 10-in. 12/31/1907 Aforza t’aggi ama I Figli di Ciro Male vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11003b 10-in. approximately Nov. 1907 Sinfonia Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11004b 10-in. approximately Nov. 1907 Sinfonia Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11008b 10-in. 1907 La nostra vita e vita di piacere Olga Rosalin Female vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11028½b 10-in. 1907 La cavalcata Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11077½b 10-in. 1907 Casse noisette suite : Marcha Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11115b 10-in. approximately Nov. 1907 Comme ’o zuccaro Annita di Landa Female vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11119b 10-in. approximately Nov. 1907 Afforza t’aggi amá' Annita di Landa Female vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11123½b 10-in. approximately Nov. 1907 Il vulcano Ines e Taki Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11124b 10-in. approximately Nov. 1907 Prete Giacomo Ines e Taki Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11125b 10-in. 1907 Serenata d’amore Ines e Taki Female-male vocal duet recordist  
Gramophone 11126b 10-in. 1907 Sul margine d’un rio Ines e Taki Female-male vocal duet recordist  
Gramophone 11127b 10-in. approximately Nov. 1907 La béarnaise Ines e Taki Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11128b 10-in. approximately Nov. 1907 La barchetta bruna Ines e Taki Female-male vocal duet, with mandolin and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11134b 10-in. 1907 Preludio Teatro alla Scala Orchestra Orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11167b 10-in. 1908 Serenata il mio nome Fernando De Lucia Tenor vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 11175b 10-in. May 1908 Il museo meccanico Trilussa Recitation recordist  
Gramophone 11181b 10-in. May 1908 Fifi Trilussa Recitation recordist  
Gramophone 11186b 10-in. 1908 Barcarola no. 5 Quintetto Strumentale Sgambati Instrumental quintet recordist  
Gramophone 11187½b 10-in. May 1908 Fado Portuquez Maria Galvany Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11190b 10-in. May 1908 O luce di quest'anima Maria Galvany Soprano vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone 11229b 10-in. 1908 Ogni uom nei lacci d'amor Tina d'Arco ; Gaetano Tani Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11234b 10-in. 1908 Qui sola gioia Coro Compagnia Marchetti Chorus, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11237b 10-in. 1908 Tcion Kina Coro Compagnia Marchetti ; Mercedes Díaz Female vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra recordist  
Gramophone 11287b 10-in. Jan. 1908 Introduzione Carlo Sabajno Orchestra recordist  
(Results 851-875 of 1229 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaisberg, Frederick William," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

"Gaisberg, Frederick William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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