This episode is a little bit different. Dave interviews co-host James about his novel on the early days of recorded sound, The Industry of Human Happiness. James tells how he chanced upon the adventures of Fred Gaisberg and William Sinkler Darby in the sleeve notes of a CD that he bought outside a concert, andContinue reading “James Hall finally tells all about his book The Industry Of Human Happiness – its the new episode of The Sound Of The Hound podcast!”
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New podcast episode – Gaisberg returns to Russia, his girlfriend says Ta Ta, he goes to record Tatars!
After the mixed success of the recording trip to Russia in 1900, it is a curious decision of Fred’s to return to the country the following year. But back he goes – twice – with a point to prove. Still waiting for that elusive breakthrough, The Gramophone Company has diversified into typewriters and Fred’s notContinue reading “New podcast episode – Gaisberg returns to Russia, his girlfriend says Ta Ta, he goes to record Tatars!”
New podcast episode – Fred Gaisberg heads east to pre-revolutionary Russia
Today we publish the first of two episodes following Fred on recording expeditions to Russia. In early 1900, with their bosses dissatisfied with what they’ve recorded to date, Fred and his colleague William Sinkler Darby are under pressure to find fascinating sounds. Their agents in St Petersburg, charged with finding singers and musicians, are uselessContinue reading “New podcast episode – Fred Gaisberg heads east to pre-revolutionary Russia”
Recording pioneers- Part 8, William Conrad Gaisberg
“We realised how many different degrees of smells there are in the world” -William Gaisberg’s observation of Hyderabad, India Name: William Conrad Gaisberg Born: 26th June 1877 Resident: Born in Washington DC, USA Occupation: Recording engineer, managing director & head of London Recording Department Loves: Travelling, opera, pushing the boundaries of music and his brother (Fred) In 1894, Fred GaisbergContinue reading “Recording pioneers- Part 8, William Conrad Gaisberg”
Recording Pioneers- Part 6
Frederick William Gaisberg 1873 – 1951 “Fred was clearly one of those Children with a natural talent for the keyboard, and his mother made the most of this opportunity from the moment she began to teach him when he was four.” -Extract from ‘A Voice in Time’ – Jerrold Northrop Moore Name: Continue reading “Recording Pioneers- Part 6”
Gaisberg’s Travels # 3
There’s no place like home… 114 years ago, 20th August 1899, Fred Gaisberg and fellow sound engineer William Sinkler Darby were on their way back to London from Madrid via Bordeaux. They came across many strange characters and had strong opinions about the local cuisine as this extract from Gaisberg’s show’s that even after theContinue reading “Gaisberg’s Travels # 3”
Happy American Independence day!
In the early days of the Gramophone Company the British founders worked closely with their American counterparts. A lot of the initial success can be attributed to one of the first sound and recording engineers – American Born Fred Gaisberg. He began working on the newly invented gramophone in the late 19th century and wasContinue reading “Happy American Independence day!”
The Paris Match: Gaisberg and Clarke make discs and cylinders side by side in 1899
Gaisberg’s first continental recording trip with William Sinkler Darby had begun in Leipzig in May 1899, where Thomas Birnbaum the Managing Director of the German Gramophone Company, joined them to travel to Budapest, Vienna and ultimately the dazzling musical city of Milan. The trip had been a mixed bag; lots of fun, some successses butContinue reading “The Paris Match: Gaisberg and Clarke make discs and cylinders side by side in 1899”
Gaisberg’s first recording trip goes Pasta Milano. 1899.
Gaisberg and Sinkler Darby arrived in Milan from Vienna in July 1899. The musical city made a great impression on Gaisberg as he later recalled. “My first visit to Milan..in 1899 was rich in experiences…I often saw Verdi (below) who would regularly take an afternoon drive in an open landau drawn by two horses. PeopleContinue reading “Gaisberg’s first recording trip goes Pasta Milano. 1899.”
Recording pianists, gypsies and tenors…in Leipzig, Budapest and Vienna
Fred Gaisberg and side-kick William Sinkler Darby were sent from London to the Continent to make more recordings for the Gramophone Company in 1899. The new Gramophone technology was in great demand and the company was struggling to keep up with it. The company had established a new disc manufacturing plant in Hanover that wasContinue reading “Recording pianists, gypsies and tenors…in Leipzig, Budapest and Vienna”
Sound Of The Hound 