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.
Pedro The Fisherman
Richard Tauber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girls who were passing by would hear him whistling by the harbour wall.
But his sweetheart Nina who loved him true, always knew
That his song belonged to her alone.
And in the evening when the lights were gleaming,
And they had to part,
As he sailed his boat away, echoing across the bay,
Came the tune that lingered in her heart.
But days of dreaming quickly pass and life goes rushing on,
And one day from the harbour wall she found his boat had gone.
He'd sailed away to find the gold the sea could never bring,
To buy a dress, a cuckoo clock, a saucepan and a ring.
She kept her eyes on the blue horizon, but he didn't return.
She stopped her sighing and left off crying, but he didn't return.
One day her father said to her, "Oh dearest daughter mine
You'll never make a lot from fish, you'll make much more from wine.
Though Miguel is very fat his vineyard's doing well,
So marry him and let your dreams of Pedro go to hell."
The organ peals, the choirboys sing,
The priest is ready with the book and ring,
So small and white here comes the bride,
And stands by swarthy Miguel's side.
Will you have this man to be your lawful spouse eternally?
And suddenly the church is still; they wait to hear her say "I will."
When through the open doorway there, a faroff sound disturbs the air.
Suddenly she found her man, from the church out she ran,
There he was upon the harbour wall.
Down rushed the wedding guests upon the quayside, but the bride had gone.
As with love she sailed away, echoing across the bay,
Came the happy ending to her song.
The lyrics of Richard Tauber's song "Pedro the Fisherman" tells the story of a young fisherman who caught the attention of girls passing by the harbor wall because of his merry tune. However, Pedro only sang that song for his "sweetheart Nina who loved him true," and he used it to communicate his love and devotion to her. The song was a source of comfort for Nina, as Pedro's boat sailed away for his fishing trips. Nevertheless, one day Pedro left to find gold, and Nina waited but he didn't come back. Her father insists she marries Miguel who is wealthy, so Nina does so reluctantly. On the day of the wedding, Pedro returns to the harbor, and Nina runs away from the altar to meet him. The song ends happily with the duo sailing into the sunset.
The song's lyrics evoke themes of love, loyalty, and devotion. Pedro uses his whistle to communicate his feelings for Nina, and the song becomes a symbol of their love. He shows devotion to her by offering the tune to her alone. However, Pedro's departure triggers a sense of longing and loss in Nina. Despite her father's urging, she finds it hard to forget Pedro. Therefore, when he returns, she abandons the marriage ceremony to be with him, signifying that her love for him was stronger than her father's wishes. The song's happy ending highlights that love can conquer all, and loyalty can be rewarded even after a long separation.
Line by Line Meaning
Pedro the fisherman was always whistling such a merry call,
Pedro was a happy-go-lucky fisherman who was always whistling a cheerful tune.
Girls who were passing by would hear him whistling by the harbour wall.
Pedro's melodious tune was so enchanting that the girls walking by the harbour wall used to hear him whistle.
But his sweetheart Nina who loved him true, always knew
Despite the attention Pedro received from girls passing by, Nina knew that he loved only her.
That his song belonged to her alone.
Nina was certain that Pedro's sweet tune was meant only for her.
And in the evening when the lights were gleaming,
In the evenings when the lights were shining bright,
And they had to part,
And it was time for them to say goodbye,
As he sailed his boat away, echoing across the bay,
As Pedro sailed away in his boat, his tune echoed across the bay.
Came the tune that lingered in her heart.
Pedro's song left a deep impact on Nina's heart that lingered in her even after he left.
But days of dreaming quickly pass and life goes rushing on,
However, the days of dreaming pass quickly and life goes on relentlessly.
And one day from the harbour wall she found his boat had gone.
One day Nina went to the harbour wall and found that Pedro's boat was not there.
He'd sailed away to find the gold the sea could never bring,
Pedro had left to find something valuable that he could not have found in the sea.
To buy a dress, a cuckoo clock, a saucepan and a ring.
He had set out to buy things like a dress, cuckoo clock, saucepan and a ring.
She kept her eyes on the blue horizon, but he didn't return.
Nina kept looking at the blue horizon, hoping Pedro would return, but he never did.
She stopped her sighing and left off crying, but he didn't return.
Nina stopped sighing and crying for Pedro, but he never came back.
One day her father said to her, "Oh dearest daughter mine
One day Nina's father advised her,
You'll never make a lot from fish, you'll make much more from wine.
He told her that she could earn more by selling wine than by fishing.
Though Miguel is very fat his vineyard's doing well,
He suggested that she should marry a man named Miguel who was rich and had a flourishing vineyard.
So marry him and let your dreams of Pedro go to hell."
He instructed her to forget about Pedro and marry Miguel instead.
The organ peals, the choirboys sing,
The wedding ceremony starts with the organ playing and choirboys singing.
The priest is ready with the book and ring,
The priest is prepared with the marriage book and ring.
So small and white here comes the bride,
The bride, looking small and white, enters the church.
And stands by swarthy Miguel's side.
She takes her position next to the dusky Miguel.
Will you have this man to be your lawful spouse eternally?
The priest asks Nina if she agrees to accept Miguel as her husband forever.
And suddenly the church is still; they wait to hear her say "I will."
Everyone in the church waits to hear Nina say "I will" in response to the priest's question.
When through the open doorway there, a faroff sound disturbs the air.
Suddenly, a distant sound coming from outside disturbs the atmosphere of the church.
Suddenly she found her man, from the church out she ran,
Suddenly, Nina sees Pedro, and she rushes out of the church to him.
There he was upon the harbour wall.
She finds Pedro on the harbour wall.
Down rushed the wedding guests upon the quayside, but the bride had gone.
The wedding guests hurry down to the quayside, but they find that the bride has already gone.
As with love she sailed away, echoing across the bay,
Nina sails away with Pedro, driven by love, and her tune echoes across the bay.
Came the happy ending to her song.
Thus, her song has a happy ending with Nina and Pedro's reunion.
Writer(s): Parr-Davies, Purcell
Contributed by Dominic O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Paulanthony01
Thanks for posting this song. Brings back so many memories of my father who loved singing this song. RIP Dad....
@ellamorrison521
remember my grandad lining up the grandchildren to whistle this.
brings back so much good memories
@ZY325097D
My father and I visited his Dad every Monday evening in the '40s and '50s at The Falcon public house run by my aunt and uncle opposite Tetley's Brewery HQ in Leeds. My father played the piano and his accordion to the whole place singing whilst I listened from upstairs. The two songs most in my memory are Pedro and a refrain from the Poet and Peasant where my grandfather's deep baritone still resounds in my mind.
@brownstowngirl
So many thanks for this much loved and treasured song. Brings back so many memories of loved ones no longer here but much remembered on another New Years Day.
@richpat
Remember my father singing this to me ... lovely
@MrDaiseymay
The marvel of YouTube ! Don't know why--but this boyhood memory came into my head, and sure enough, here it is. Thanks very much. I must say that it is far clearer than the overplayed shellac 78 we had in the late 40's. If I remember correctly, the record label was Marroon in colour with gold writing, and the name 'Odeon' in gold too. Being very young, I always remembered my favourites by the colour and design on the labels.
@maggymay7827
A blast from the past.Thank you very much.
Love you Jane.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
@philipmajor3317
A favourite of mine from an early age
@Ampico
Thank you for posting this song very much- I have been a great fan of Tauber and Harry Parr-davies who wrote this.
@jenniferwilling6477
This was the first Richard Tauber song my dad ever played for me - a 78 on a wind up gramophone. I was only a kid but became a huge fan. Brings back many memories.