Sigmund Spaeth
Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth (April 10, 1885 – November 11, 1965) was an American musicologist who sought to de-mystify classical music for the general public. His extensive knowledge of both the classical repertoire and popular song enabled him to trace the melodies of current hits back to earlier sources; this talent garnered him fame as the "Tune Detective," a role he played as an entertainer, educator, and as an expert witness in cases of plagiarism and infringement of copyrighted music. Spaeth wrote over thirty books on both popular and classical music. He promoted his ideas about music and music appreciation with vaudeville appearances, books and magazine articles, lectures, and radio and television programs. A serious academic, an athlete and a musician, Spaeth described himself as a "writer, broadcaster, lecturer, composer, arranger and general showman and entertainer." |
Birth and Death Data: Born Philadelphia (largest city in Pennsylvania, United States), Died November 11, 1965 (New York City (most populous city in the United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1913 - 1932
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, baritone vocal, composer, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-14234 | 10-in. | 12/22/1913 | Dreaming of you | Florence Hinkle | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Victor | B-25214 | 10-in. | 4/13/1921 | Querida | Titta Ruffo | Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Victor | B-29614 | 10-in. | 3/3/1924 | Chansonette | Lambert Murphy | Male vocal solo, with cello, piano, and orchestra | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-37838 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | My little nest of heavenly blue | Maria Jeritza | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-41526 | 10-in. | 1/6/1928 | Down South | Harry Reser's Banjo Boys ; Tom Stacks | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-Test-124 | 10-in. | 8/13/1928 | The little lost child | Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-Test-125 | 10-in. | 8/13/1928 | My mother was a lady | Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-Test-500 | 10-in. | 2/17/1932 | Sing a song of contract | Frank Crumit ; Julia Sanderson | Mixed vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | [Trial 1923-12-29-01] | 10-in. | 12/29/1923 | Jack and Jill, part 1 | Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Victor | [Trial 1923-12-29-02] | 10-in. | 12/29/1923 | Jack and Jill, part 2 | Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Victor | [Trial 1926-02-18-03] | 10-in. | 2/18/1926 | Musical adventures of Jack and Jill, part 1 | Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth | Male vocal solo | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Victor | [Trial 1926-02-18-04] | 10-in. | 2/18/1926 | Musical adventures of Jack and Jill, part 2 | Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth | Male vocal solo | vocalist, baritone vocal | |
| Columbia | 78977 | 10-in. | 2/17/1920 | Madrigal of May | Jeanne Gordon | Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Columbia | W141685 | 10-in. | 2/17/1926 | Madrigal of May | Franklyn Baur | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Columbia | 145704 | 10-in. | 3/1/1928 | Down South | Manhattan Dance Makers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | 12267-12269 | 10-in. | 1/11/1924 | Chansonette | Marie Tiffany | Female vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | 12506-12508 | 10-in. | 2/11/1924 | Chansonette | Marie Tiffany | Female vocal solo, with orchestra and violin obbligato | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E3292-E3294 | 10-in. | 6/25/1926 | My little nest of heavenly blue | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E23995-E23998 | 10-in. | 7/15/1927 | Down South | Anglo-Persians | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio; without vocal (take E23988) | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | 577 | 10-in. | May 1928 | Chanson | Fred Elizalde Music | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Edison | 10834 | 10-in. | 2/16/1926 | My little nest (Of heavenly blue) | Walter Scanlan | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spaeth, Sigmund," accessed December 26, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101951.
Spaeth, Sigmund. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 26, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101951.
"Spaeth, Sigmund." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 26 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Sigmund Spaeth
Discogs: Sigmund Spaeth
IMSLP: Sigmund Spaeth
IMDb: Sigmund Spaeth
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Spaeth, Sigmund, 1885-1965 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50021669
Wikidata: Sigmund Spaeth - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7512506
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/30314738
MusicBrainz: Sigmund Spaeth - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ffbb704b-1be3-44a2-ae40-ed88bcbe876d
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/7074 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/7074
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.
