Joseph Schmidt (March 4, 1904 – November 16, 1942) was a Jewish Romanian te… Read Full Bio ↴Joseph Schmidt (March 4, 1904 – November 16, 1942) was a Jewish Romanian tenor and actor. He was born in Davideny village of Storozhynets district in the Bukovina province of Austria-Hungary, later Romania and now part of Ukraine.
In addition to German, which was his first language, and Yiddish, he learned Hebrew and became fluent in Romanian, French and English. His first vocal training was as an alto boy in the Czernowitz Synagogue. His talents were quickly recognised and by 1924 he was featured in his first solo recital in Czernowitz singing traditional Jewish songs and arias by Verdi, Puccini, Rossini and Bizet. Soon he moved to Berlin and took piano and singing lessons from Professor Hermann Weissenborn at the Königliche Musikschule. He returned to Romania for his military service and became cantor of the Czernowitz synagogue.
In 1929 he went back to Berlin, where Cornelis Bronsgeest, a famous Dutch baritone, engaged him for a radio broadcast as Vasco da Gama in Meyerbeer's L'Africaine. This was the beginning of a successful international career. Owing to his diminutive stature (he was just over 1.5 m) a stage career was impossible; however his voice was extremely well suited for radio. He made many records, first for Ultraphone, then for Odeon/Parlophone, was featured in many radio broadcasts and acted in several movies in both German and English.
Ironically, Joseph Schmidt enjoyed his greatest successes during the rise of the German Nazis, who subsequently prohibited Jewish artists and writers from working. In 1937, he toured the United States and performed in Carnegie Hall together with other prominent singers such as Grace Moore. The Nazis banned him from performing in Germany and Austria, but he was still very much welcome in the Netherlands and Belgium, where he was immensely popular.
In 1939, he visited his mother in Czernowitz for the last time. When the war broke out that year he was caught in France by the German invasion. He attempted to escape to the United States but, unfortunately, this failed. Making a dash for the Swiss border, he was interned in a Swiss refugee camp in Gyrenbad near Zürich in October 1942. He had been already in frail health. Harsh camp life and lack of medical care brought about a fatal heart attack on November 16, 1942. He was only 38 years old.
He had a sweet lyric tenor voice with an easy high register, sailing up even to a high D. His warm timbre was perfectly suited for the melodies of Schubert and Lehár. His popular song recordings were the best-sellers of that age.
In addition to German, which was his first language, and Yiddish, he learned Hebrew and became fluent in Romanian, French and English. His first vocal training was as an alto boy in the Czernowitz Synagogue. His talents were quickly recognised and by 1924 he was featured in his first solo recital in Czernowitz singing traditional Jewish songs and arias by Verdi, Puccini, Rossini and Bizet. Soon he moved to Berlin and took piano and singing lessons from Professor Hermann Weissenborn at the Königliche Musikschule. He returned to Romania for his military service and became cantor of the Czernowitz synagogue.
In 1929 he went back to Berlin, where Cornelis Bronsgeest, a famous Dutch baritone, engaged him for a radio broadcast as Vasco da Gama in Meyerbeer's L'Africaine. This was the beginning of a successful international career. Owing to his diminutive stature (he was just over 1.5 m) a stage career was impossible; however his voice was extremely well suited for radio. He made many records, first for Ultraphone, then for Odeon/Parlophone, was featured in many radio broadcasts and acted in several movies in both German and English.
Ironically, Joseph Schmidt enjoyed his greatest successes during the rise of the German Nazis, who subsequently prohibited Jewish artists and writers from working. In 1937, he toured the United States and performed in Carnegie Hall together with other prominent singers such as Grace Moore. The Nazis banned him from performing in Germany and Austria, but he was still very much welcome in the Netherlands and Belgium, where he was immensely popular.
In 1939, he visited his mother in Czernowitz for the last time. When the war broke out that year he was caught in France by the German invasion. He attempted to escape to the United States but, unfortunately, this failed. Making a dash for the Swiss border, he was interned in a Swiss refugee camp in Gyrenbad near Zürich in October 1942. He had been already in frail health. Harsh camp life and lack of medical care brought about a fatal heart attack on November 16, 1942. He was only 38 years old.
He had a sweet lyric tenor voice with an easy high register, sailing up even to a high D. His warm timbre was perfectly suited for the melodies of Schubert and Lehár. His popular song recordings were the best-sellers of that age.
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Joseph Schmidt Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Joseph Schmidt:
A Star Falls from Heaven A Star Falls from Heaven When the moon is softly beaming An…
Als Flotter Geist- Ja Das Alles Auf Ehr' Ja, das alles auf Ehr′ Als flotter Geist, doch früh verwais…
Als Flotter Geist- Ja, Das Alles Auf Ehr' Ja, das alles auf Ehr' Als flotter Geist, doch früh verwais…
Ein Lied geht um die Welt Ein Lied geht um die Welt, ein Lied, das Euch gefällt. Die…
Nessun Dorma Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! Tu pure, o principessa Nella tu…
Tiritomba Tiritomba Video: Lyrics to Tiritomba saragietta saragietta …
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Bill Sullivan
A great recording of a fine voice. This is an unusual recording. You can hear his echoing voice in a hall. Probably recorded in the middle 30s. The echo may tell you he had a much bigger voice than many people believe he had. He could have sung in any opera house. Being a small person does not seem to be a problem anymore.
Edward Kerrigan
He sang in the Brussels opera at the beginning of the war, until he had to flee the German advance.
lakshmy 2017
Imi place mult, l-as asculta fara incetare. Nu stiam cine este dar imi amintesc ca auzeam la radio, in copilarie aceasta voce unica.
Geert de Ruijter
Als ik Joseph Schmidt hoor zingen,word ik sentimenteel en verlang ik naar de tijd van
toen!Prachtige liederen en die stem.......!!!!!
Father McGree
Einer der größten deutschen Tenöre... in seinen Liedern wird er ewig leben!
Erika Scolovin
Joseph Schmidt wurde in Rumänien geboren und war Halbjude. Ihm und Fritz Wunderlich ist kaum ein Beikommen.
Semsem Eini
Er war aus Osterreich; spater Romanien; Czernowitz. Yetzt Ukraine.
Rolf David
Oh, ja das war er.
GrauerJunge
einfach klasse!!! Herliche Stimme
Mathilde Gotsmich
Hätte ich zu der Zeit gelebt, ich hätte mich Knall auf Fall in diesen Mann und diese himmlische Stimme verliebt.ich könnte jedes mal heulen, wenn ich ihn singen höre und dran denke, daß er eigentlich nur deshalb so jung sterben mußte, weil ihm keiner medizinische Hilfe gewährte.was für eine Schande.möge er wirklich in Frieden ruhen.
Shalom. Hilde gotsmich aus München