Echoes Of The Forest - Hager's Orchestra (1903)

"Echoes Of The Forest"

Hager's Orchestra led by Fred W. Hager (or Frederick W. Hager)

Fred Hager was born Frederick Wallace Haga in New Milford in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, on December 31, 1874 (the very end of the year!).

He worked for many companies and was known as Frederick W. Hager, Fred W. Hager, F.W. Hager, and Fred Hager. A March 1901 catalog of Edison "Concert" cylinders lists him as Wallace Fredericks, adding "Frederick Wallace Hager" in parenthesis.

The February 1920 issue of Jacobs' Orchestra Monthly, which includes an article about Hager in its series called "Famous Bandmasters in Brief," states that since the father was leader of the town band, "it was quite natural that the youthful Hager should become interested in music, and at an early age he began the study of the violin." The family moved to New York City in 1882. The article states, "In his earlier years he had won a free scholarship at the National Conservatory of Music which was then under the direction of the noted Dvorak...In 1896 he branched out as a band leader and soon controlled nearly all the political affairs in his immediate home district (the Bronx)..."

The July 1898 issue of The Phonoscope states, "He studied under Prof. F. Hermann for several years, after which he received a term of free scholarship at the National Conservatory of Music. He then studied [for three years] with Carl Heuser, a prominent violinist of New York City....Mr. Hager has the distinction of being the youngest bandmaster of merit in New York City, having procured a contract to furnish a band [Hager's American Military Band] for a public park when he was but 21 years of age....Mr. Hager has recently gone into the phonograph field and is at present engaged by Messrs. Harms, Kaiser and Hagen."

The January 1899 issue of The Phonoscope lists Hager among artists making cylinders for Harms, Kaiser, and Hagen, located at 18 East 22nd Street, New York City.

He made violin solos on brown wax cylinders in the late 1890s.

The May 10, 1901, catalog for Zon-o-phone records, made by the National Gramophone Corporation, identifies Frederick W. Hager as "Winner of the First Prize (Gold Medal) at the Pittsburgh Exposition, 1898, for the best Violin Record. After months of patient experimenting, we are able to give the public a violin record, that never has been equaled." It lists 12 discs featuring violinist Hager, including 9060: "Scene De Ballet. A marvelous and excellent record...Every note is clear and sweet. This is a most difficult selection to record as it is four or five notes higher than usually used for recording purposes, and takes in the full register of the violin."

From around 1901 through 1903, Hager had many Columbia sessions, playing violin solos on some records, leading a studio orchestra (called Hager's Orchestra) on others.