Richard Tauber (16 May 1891 – 8 January 1948) was an Austrian tenor acclaim… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Tauber (16 May 1891 – 8 January 1948) was an Austrian tenor acclaimed as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Some critics commented that "his heart felt every word he sang".
He was born in Linz, Austria to Elisabeth Seiffert, an actress who played soubrette roles at the local theatre. His father, Richard Anton Tauber, also an actor, was not married to his mother and was unaware of the birth as he was touring America at the time.
Richard accompanied his mother on tour to various theatres but she found it increasingly difficult to cope, and in 1897 he was sent to school in Linz, when his father took over his upbringing. His father, who had a Jewish background but had converted to Catholicism, hoped that Richard would become a priest, but the boy missed the excitement of the theatre and instead joined his father in Prague, and subsequently in 1903 at the theatre in Wiesbaden. Richard hoped to become a singer but failed to impress any of the teachers he auditioned for, probably because he chose to sing Wagner, for which his voice was not suited. Consequently, his father entered him at the conservatory in Frankfurt-am-Main to study piano, composition and conducting, subjects which stood Tauber in good stead in later years. He made rapid progress but he still hoped to become a singer; whilst staying with friends at Freiburg he was heard by the well-known voice teacher Professor Carl Beines who encouraged him to sing more quietly and promised a good career as a Mozart tenor.
He made his debut before the public at a concert at Freiburg on 17 May 1912. In 1913 his father was appointed Intendant of both the Municipal and Stadt-Theater in Chemnitz and was therefore in a position to arrange for Richard to appear as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) on Sunday, 2 March 1913. A few days later he played Max in Der Freischütz, a performance which was attended by Baron Seebach of the Dresden Opera and he offered Richard a five-year contract. The Baron encouraged Tauber to take small roles with other companies to broaden his experience.
During his years in Dresden, Tauber acquired his reputation as a remarkably quick study: he learned the Gounod Faust in 48 hours, Bacchus in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos in an afternoon, and so on. People started to call him "the SOS Tenor".
In 1922, Tauber signed a contract with the Vienna State Opera and appearances with the Berlin State Opera followed; for many years he appeared with both companies – four months with each, leaving four months for concerts and guest appearances with other companies and touring abroad. He sang the tenor role in many operas, including Don Giovanni, The Bartered Bride, Tosca, Mignon, Faust, Carmen and Die Fledermaus, as well as newer works such as Erich Korngold's Die tote Stadt and Wilhem Kienzl's Der Evangelimann. It was during this period that he began making the first of over seven hundred gramophone records, mainly for the Odeon Records label.
Tauber had a lyrical, flexible tenor voice, and he sang with a warm, elegant legato. His excellent breath control gave him a wonderful head voice and mezza-voce with a superb pianissimo. He was elegant in appearance too — although he had a slight squint in his right eye, he disguised it by wearing a monocle which, when accompanied by a top hat, added to the elegant effect. For many people he became the epitome of Viennese charm.
In 1924 he was offered the part of Armand in Franz Lehár's Frasquita at the Theater an der Wien, which was a huge success. This excursion into operetta was looked down on by some but it did Tauber no harm at all; in fact, it gave Tauber a new audience. Neither did it harm his voice as some had feared – Tauber was too fine a musician to indulge in poor vocal practices in pursuit of popularity. It also revived Lehár's flagging career as a composer of operetta, who composed several successful new works specifically for Tauber's voice and talent. These usually occurred in the second act and were informally known as Tauberlieder. When in Vienna, Tauber also conducted at the Theater an der Wien, and it was here that he met the soprano Carlotta Vanconti who soon divorced her Italian husband and married Tauber. They separated in 1928 and divorced two years later, by which time he had met Mary Losseff at Rudolf Nelson's review in Berlin. They lived together for about five years. Losseff became his muse; it was for her that he wrote Der singende Traum. Sadly, Losseff's career ended when she became an alcoholic, but Tauber remained her lifelong friend and supported her until his death.
In 1931, Tauber made his London debut in operetta and London appearances became a regular event; he also toured the USA in this year. In 1933, Tauber was assaulted in the street by a group of Nazi Brownshirts, probably because of his Jewish ancestry, and he decided to leave Germany for his native Austria, where he continued to sing at the Vienna State Opera. In the mid-thirties he made several musical films in England, and during one of these he met the English actress Diana Napier; they got married in 1936. In 1938 he made his London operatic debut in Die Zauberflöte under Sir Thomas Beecham. In that year, the Nazi government of Germany annexed Austria and the Taubers left Austria for good. In response, the Austrian government withdrew the Taubers' passports and right of abode; as this left them technically stateless persons, Tauber applied for British citizenship. He was touring South Africa when World War II broke out, and returned to Switzerland until he received the papers allowing him to enter the United Kingdom, doing so early in 1940.
Despite receiving lucrative offers from the USA, he remained in the UK for the entire war. There was no opera staged in wartime Britain so he made a living by singing, conducting and making gramophone records and radio broadcasts. He even composed English operettas, together with the lyric writer Fred S. Tysh, from one of which, Old Chelsea, the song My Heart and I became one of his most popular English recordings. It was only these English records that brought him any royalties; for his earlier recordings he had been paid for each performance and he had been compelled to leave his savings behind in Austria. In 1947, Tauber sought medical attention for a persistent cough. He was diagnosed with lung cancer; one lung was already useless and the other nearly so.
The Vienna State Opera was in London for a short season at the Royal Opera House — their first visit since the war — and they invited Tauber to sing one performance with his old company. On 27 September 1947, he sang the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, not a large part but with two difficult arias that demand good breath control to bring off well. Those in the audience say that he sang wonderfully and to loud applause. Live excerpts of these two arias from this performance survive, and they reveal a tone of undiminished focus and steadiness, a good line, and somewhat shortened phrasing. His career ended as it began – with Mozart.
He was born in Linz, Austria to Elisabeth Seiffert, an actress who played soubrette roles at the local theatre. His father, Richard Anton Tauber, also an actor, was not married to his mother and was unaware of the birth as he was touring America at the time.
Richard accompanied his mother on tour to various theatres but she found it increasingly difficult to cope, and in 1897 he was sent to school in Linz, when his father took over his upbringing. His father, who had a Jewish background but had converted to Catholicism, hoped that Richard would become a priest, but the boy missed the excitement of the theatre and instead joined his father in Prague, and subsequently in 1903 at the theatre in Wiesbaden. Richard hoped to become a singer but failed to impress any of the teachers he auditioned for, probably because he chose to sing Wagner, for which his voice was not suited. Consequently, his father entered him at the conservatory in Frankfurt-am-Main to study piano, composition and conducting, subjects which stood Tauber in good stead in later years. He made rapid progress but he still hoped to become a singer; whilst staying with friends at Freiburg he was heard by the well-known voice teacher Professor Carl Beines who encouraged him to sing more quietly and promised a good career as a Mozart tenor.
He made his debut before the public at a concert at Freiburg on 17 May 1912. In 1913 his father was appointed Intendant of both the Municipal and Stadt-Theater in Chemnitz and was therefore in a position to arrange for Richard to appear as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) on Sunday, 2 March 1913. A few days later he played Max in Der Freischütz, a performance which was attended by Baron Seebach of the Dresden Opera and he offered Richard a five-year contract. The Baron encouraged Tauber to take small roles with other companies to broaden his experience.
During his years in Dresden, Tauber acquired his reputation as a remarkably quick study: he learned the Gounod Faust in 48 hours, Bacchus in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos in an afternoon, and so on. People started to call him "the SOS Tenor".
In 1922, Tauber signed a contract with the Vienna State Opera and appearances with the Berlin State Opera followed; for many years he appeared with both companies – four months with each, leaving four months for concerts and guest appearances with other companies and touring abroad. He sang the tenor role in many operas, including Don Giovanni, The Bartered Bride, Tosca, Mignon, Faust, Carmen and Die Fledermaus, as well as newer works such as Erich Korngold's Die tote Stadt and Wilhem Kienzl's Der Evangelimann. It was during this period that he began making the first of over seven hundred gramophone records, mainly for the Odeon Records label.
Tauber had a lyrical, flexible tenor voice, and he sang with a warm, elegant legato. His excellent breath control gave him a wonderful head voice and mezza-voce with a superb pianissimo. He was elegant in appearance too — although he had a slight squint in his right eye, he disguised it by wearing a monocle which, when accompanied by a top hat, added to the elegant effect. For many people he became the epitome of Viennese charm.
In 1924 he was offered the part of Armand in Franz Lehár's Frasquita at the Theater an der Wien, which was a huge success. This excursion into operetta was looked down on by some but it did Tauber no harm at all; in fact, it gave Tauber a new audience. Neither did it harm his voice as some had feared – Tauber was too fine a musician to indulge in poor vocal practices in pursuit of popularity. It also revived Lehár's flagging career as a composer of operetta, who composed several successful new works specifically for Tauber's voice and talent. These usually occurred in the second act and were informally known as Tauberlieder. When in Vienna, Tauber also conducted at the Theater an der Wien, and it was here that he met the soprano Carlotta Vanconti who soon divorced her Italian husband and married Tauber. They separated in 1928 and divorced two years later, by which time he had met Mary Losseff at Rudolf Nelson's review in Berlin. They lived together for about five years. Losseff became his muse; it was for her that he wrote Der singende Traum. Sadly, Losseff's career ended when she became an alcoholic, but Tauber remained her lifelong friend and supported her until his death.
In 1931, Tauber made his London debut in operetta and London appearances became a regular event; he also toured the USA in this year. In 1933, Tauber was assaulted in the street by a group of Nazi Brownshirts, probably because of his Jewish ancestry, and he decided to leave Germany for his native Austria, where he continued to sing at the Vienna State Opera. In the mid-thirties he made several musical films in England, and during one of these he met the English actress Diana Napier; they got married in 1936. In 1938 he made his London operatic debut in Die Zauberflöte under Sir Thomas Beecham. In that year, the Nazi government of Germany annexed Austria and the Taubers left Austria for good. In response, the Austrian government withdrew the Taubers' passports and right of abode; as this left them technically stateless persons, Tauber applied for British citizenship. He was touring South Africa when World War II broke out, and returned to Switzerland until he received the papers allowing him to enter the United Kingdom, doing so early in 1940.
Despite receiving lucrative offers from the USA, he remained in the UK for the entire war. There was no opera staged in wartime Britain so he made a living by singing, conducting and making gramophone records and radio broadcasts. He even composed English operettas, together with the lyric writer Fred S. Tysh, from one of which, Old Chelsea, the song My Heart and I became one of his most popular English recordings. It was only these English records that brought him any royalties; for his earlier recordings he had been paid for each performance and he had been compelled to leave his savings behind in Austria. In 1947, Tauber sought medical attention for a persistent cough. He was diagnosed with lung cancer; one lung was already useless and the other nearly so.
The Vienna State Opera was in London for a short season at the Royal Opera House — their first visit since the war — and they invited Tauber to sing one performance with his old company. On 27 September 1947, he sang the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, not a large part but with two difficult arias that demand good breath control to bring off well. Those in the audience say that he sang wonderfully and to loud applause. Live excerpts of these two arias from this performance survive, and they reveal a tone of undiminished focus and steadiness, a good line, and somewhat shortened phrasing. His career ended as it began – with Mozart.
One Day When We Were Young
Richard Tauber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One day when we were young
That wonderful morning in May
You told me you loved me
When we were young one day
Sweet songs of spring were sung
And music was never so gay
You told me you loved me
When we were young one day
You told me you loved me
And held me close to your heart
We laughed then, we cried then
Then came the ti-ime to part
When songs of spring are sung
Remember that morning in May
Remember you loved me
When we were young one day
We laughed then, we cried then
Then came the ti-ime to par-art
When songs of spring are sung
Remember that morning in May
Remember you loved me
When we were young one day...
That wonderful morning in May
You told me you loved me
When we were young one day
Sweet songs of spring were sung
And music was never so gay
You told me you loved me
You told me you loved me
And held me close to your heart
We laughed then, we cried then
Then came the ti-ime to part
When songs of spring are sung
Remember that morning in May
Remember you loved me
When we were young one day
We laughed then, we cried then
Then came the ti-ime to par-art
When songs of spring are sung
Remember that morning in May
Remember you loved me
When we were young one day...
The lyrics to Richard Tauber's song One Day When We Were Young reminisce about a youthful romance that took place one morning in May. The singer recalls being told by a lover that they loved them on that day, which was filled with sweet songs of spring and joyous music. The memory is bittersweet, as the relationship eventually came to an end and they were forced to part ways. Despite the passing of time, the singer implores their former flame to remember the love they shared when they were young and the hope that came with it.
The imagery in the lyrics is quite vivid, painting a picture of a beautiful spring day filled with music and the excitement of first love. The use of repetition in the chorus underscores the importance of the memory and the desire to hold onto it even as time passes. The final lines of the song, with their repetition of "We laughed then, we cried then, then came the ti-ime to part" evoke a sense of wistfulness and acceptance that all good things must end.
Overall, the lyrics to One Day When We Were Young are a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of love and the power of memories to sustain us even as time moves on.
Line by Line Meaning
One day when we were young
Once upon a time when we were young
That wonderful morning in May
On a delightful morning in May
You told me you loved me
You professed your love for me
When we were young one day
During that youthful time
Sweet songs of spring were sung
The pleasing music of springtime filled the air
And music was never so gay
The music was never so lively and merry
You told me you loved me
You declared your affection for me
And held me close to your heart
Embraced me closely with your warmth
We laughed then, we cried then
We shared both joy and sorrow
Then came the ti-ime to part
Eventually, it was time to separate
When songs of spring are sung
Whenever the melodies of spring are heard
Remember that morning in May
Reflect on that delightful May morning
Remember you loved me
Recall that you loved me once
When we were young one day
During our youthful stage
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DIMITRI TIOMKIN, OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
@sproatielad
Reduces me to tears within about 30 seconds , such controlled power , emotion and timbre . Some of Taubers songs are still relevant and deserve 'second hearings' even in 2023 , 'Dont ask me why ' another great song. What a vocalist and interpreter of songs !. So grateful to my late father and grandfather who insisted on playing Richard Taubers' records..some 30 years later Im revisiting and realising and sharing their passion . Quality is quality ...and who compares ? A rare and special gift in his timing and feeling..
@barrhavener
Johann Strauss Jr also composed many great music such as On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Emperor Waltz, Tales from the Vienna Woods, Voices of Spring (over 300 in all), etc.
Oscar Hammerstein also wrote the words for many familiar songs such as the King and I, Sound of Music, from "Shall we Dance" to "Do-re-mi".
People never get tired to their music -- "One Day When We Were Young" is just one of them.
@sproatielad
Thank you for that ,I love some of those songs too,the world needs melodies like these and singers to get excited about
@JazmacL3544
I totally agree. Such a beautiful song ,sung by a maestro. There is nobody who can reproduce this nowadays.
@robertsutherland5012
What a power music can have! When the second world war began I was a small boy in hospital. On a bright sunny morning I heard for the first time the magnificent sound of the male voice - Richard Tauber singing "One Day When We Were Young`'.I was captivated , and it was the beginning of my career as piano accompanist. La Fortuna has been kind to me. I Have accompanied many great singers - Kiri Te Kanawa, Boris Christof, Monsarat Caballe, Guisepe Di Stefano, Jose Carreras, and Maria Callas among others - and all because a nurse switched on the radio when Richard Tauber was singing. Happy memories! Is it any wonder that I love this recording!
@garyroberts3859
What a singer, I first heard Tauber sing this when I was 14...I’m 76 now and still listening and loving it
@andrewpierce470
The greatest singer of all time. His music is immortal.
@yvonnewratten5855
Brilliantvoice and song .
@elnanel1507
This is so incredibly beautiful!! I can't stop listening to the magic of the voice and words.
@milesfromneworleans
What a performance! What a voice! Where are such great singers today?