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 1-25 of 1229 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Berliner 250 7-in. 3/30/1896 King Cotton Artists vary Piano solo instrumentalist, piano  
Berliner 253[a] 7-in. 10/15/1895 Princess Bonnie : Waltzes Artists vary Piano solo instrumentalist, piano  
Berliner 256 7-in. 11/17/1892 Geisterfunken Frederick William Gaisberg Piano solo instrumentalist, piano  
Berliner 490 7-in. Apr. 1898 The scarlet letter Cullen and Collins Banjo duet composer  
Berliner 824 7-in. 4/10/1897 The scarlet letter Brass quartet (unidentified; Berliner Gramophone Co.) Brass quartet, with piano composer  
Berliner 1459 7-in. Before Sept. 1897 The scarlet letter Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Berliner 5904 7-in. 3/21/1899 The scarlet letter Joseph P. Cullen Banjo solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1005 7-in. July 1900 Carnaval di Venezia [Professor] Pallavicini Mandolin solo recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 1 12-in. Mar. 1904 Mattinata Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone G1b 10-in. approximately Aug. 1905 Una notte fra i monti Dramatic group (unidentified; Gramophone Co.) Dramatic scene recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 2 12-in. Mar. 1904 Nymphes et sylvains Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone G2 10-in. ca. Aug. 1905 Un cliente difficile Dramatic group (unidentified; Gramophone Co.) Comic scene, with piano recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 6 12-in. Mar. 1904 Ah, fors' è lui (Andante) Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 9 12-in. Mar. 1904 Se seran rose Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 12 12-in. 3/27/1904 Part of the Mad scene Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with flute obbligato and piano recordist  
Gramophone D12b 10-in. 1904 Eine Gardinenpredigt Franz Misfeld [i.e., Gustav Schönwald] ; Martha Schulze Female-male vocal duet recordist  
Gramophone D 13b 10-in. 1904 Eine lustige Eisenbahnfahrt Franz Misfeld [i.e., Gustav Schönwald] ; Martha Schulze Recitation recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 15 12-in. 3/27/1904 Sweet bird Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with flute obbligato and piano recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 16 12-in. 3/27/1904 Good-bye Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
Gramophone 18p 12-in. 1907 Halali balali wafani el habib Abd-el-Hai Effendi Helmi Male vocal solo recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 20 12-in. Mar. 1904 Mad scene Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 21 12-in. Mar. 1904 Mad scene Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 22 12-in. Mar. 1904 Caro nome Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 23 12-in. Apr. 1904 Ah, fors' è lui (Allegro) Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra recordist  
Gramophone MELBA 25 12-in. Apr. 1904 Three green bonnets Nellie Melba Soprano vocal solo, with piano recordist  
(Results 1-25 of 1229 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaisberg, Frederick William," accessed March 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

Gaisberg, Frederick William. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116625.

"Gaisberg, Frederick William." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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