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.
Plaisir D'Amour
Richard Tauber Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Plaisir D'Amour' by these artists:
Andrea Bocelli Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment, Chagrin d'amour dure …
Andrea Bocelli / Lorin Maazel / LSO Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure t…
Andrea Bocelli London Symphony Orchestra & Lorin Maazel Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure to…
Bob Dylan & Joan Baez The joys of love are but a moment long The pain…
Charles Aznavour & Nana Mouskouri Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment Chagrin d’amour dure to…
Charlotte Church Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dur to…
Charlotte Church/London Promenade Orchestra/London Welsh Male Voice Choir Pleasure of love lasts only one moment, Unhappy love affai…
D.J. Dream Meditation Kto raz tak witał noc Jak skarb jak bogactw moc Ten wie…
Dana Winner DANA WINNER Plaisir d′amour Ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d′…
Eddy Mitchell Plaisir d′amour ne dure qu'un moment, Chagrin d′amour dure t…
Emmylou Harris Plaisir d'amour Ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure To…
Filippa Giordano Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure to…
Franco Battiato Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment, chagrin d'amour dure…
Gabriel Yacoub Plaisir d′amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d′amour dure to…
Harris Emmylou Plaisir d'amour Ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure To…
Joan Baez The joys of love are but a moment long The pain…
Judy Collins Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Cha grin d'amour dure t…
Le Grand Baiser Plaisir d′amour ne dure qu'un moment, Chagrin d′amour dure t…
London Symphony Orchestra / Suän Edwards Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure to…
Marian Anderson laisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment. chagrin d'amour dure to…
Marianne Faithfull Plaisir d'amour Ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour Dure to…
Mireille Mathieu Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment, Chagrin d'amour dure …
Mouskouri Nana Plaisir d’amour ne dure qu’un moment Chagrin d’amour dure to…
Nana Mouskouri(나나 무스끄리) Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure t…
Paradis Français Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure to…
The London Promenade Orchestra Pleasure of love lasts only one moment, Unhappy love affair…
The Seekers The joy of love is but a moment long; The pain…
Tino Rossi Plaisir D'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure to…
Tokiko Kato 愛のよろこび そのかがやきが 長い旅路をてらす光 ふたつの 星のきらめきが ひとつに結ばれる奇跡 あつい泉があふれ流れて…
Various Artists Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment Chagrin d'amour dure to…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Richard Tauber:
Adieu Mein Kleiner Gardeoffizier Und eines Tages mit sang und Klang Da zog ein Fähnrich…
At the Balalaika When the melancholy shadows fall My heart is melancholy too …
Begin The Beguine When they begin the beguine It brings back the sound of…
Can I Forget You Que miserável homem que sou, que me tornei Mendigo o pão…
Dein ist mein ganzes Herz Dein ist mein ganzes Herz! Wo du nicht bist, kann ich…
Die Lorelei Ich weiss nicht was soll es bedeuten Dass ich so taurig…
Don't Be Cross She was the miller's daughter fair, Oft to the old mill…
Fascination On the summer night when we met Just a passing glance,…
Girls Were Made To Love And Kiss Girls, girls, girls were made to love (Sugar Ray... eh eh…
Heaven in a Song In the still of the night As I gaze out of…
I'm In Love With Vienna Every tree in the park Every leaf on the tree Waves a…
Im Prater blüh'n wieder die Bäume Im Prater blüh'n wieder die Bäume In Sievering grünt sc…
In The Still Of The Night In the still of the night As I gaze out of…
Long Ago Long ago and far away I dreamed a dream one day And…
Long Ago from "Cover Girl" Long ago and far away I dreamed a dream one day And…
Lover Come Back to Me You went away I let you We broke the ties that bind I…
Nessun Dorma Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! Tu pure, o principessa Nella tu…
Oh! What A Beautiful Morning There's a bright golden haze on the meadow, There's a bright…
One Alone I have heard all you've been saying Yet I will love…
One Day When We Were Young One day when we were young That wonderful morning in May You…
Pedro the Fisherman Pedro the fisherman was always whistling such a merry call, …
Rosalie In the still of the night As I gaze out of…
Schlaf mein Liebling Good night sweetheart, till we meet tomorrow Good night swe…
Sleepy lagoon You too girlie girlie Young man you too girlie girlie Him ha…
Song Of Songs My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance A moment of…
The Great Waltz: One day when we were young One day when we were young That wonderful morning in May You…
When Day Is Done When day is done And shadows fall I dream of…
Wien du Stadt Meiner Träume Mein Herz und mein Sinn, schwärmt stets nur für Wien Für…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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
Ian Harris
"Plaisir D'Amour"
The joys of love are but a moment long
The pain of love endures the whole life long
Your eyes kissed mine, I saw the love in them shine
You brought me heaven right there when your eyes kissed mine
My love loves me, a world of wonder I see
A rainbow shines thru my window; my love loves me
And now he's gone like a dream that fades in the dawn
But the words stay locked in my heartstrings; my love loves me
sybil laholm
Hello, Edmund. Having heard so many artistic singers do this art song, I must say that Tauber's is the first recording I've heard where the phrasing is perfect. The first phrase is written as a legato line form "Plaisir" through"moment" with no break for a breath from beginning to end. Likewise the second phrase. Tauber did it correctly and it was a relief to hear it sung that way. Sorry I didn't come across this sooner and you have my thanks for it.
Ian Harris
"Plaisir D'Amour"
The joys of love are but a moment long
The pain of love endures the whole life long
Your eyes kissed mine, I saw the love in them shine
You brought me heaven right there when your eyes kissed mine
My love loves me, a world of wonder I see
A rainbow shines thru my window; my love loves me
And now he's gone like a dream that fades in the dawn
But the words stay locked in my heartstrings; my love loves me
道
love his unique voice and artistry, never grow old, wish more will have the chance to enjoy... thank you,
Theodore Biele
Sempre miele! Always great. Such a melifluous voice. Not schmaits. Beautiful sung perfectly by a great lyric tenor. Even in German, the "Pleasure of Love" comes through with all it's romantic emphases!!!!
Erna Pizarro
Las canciones de Richard Tauber inmortales!
John Upton
During the loosely defined period of these recordings, there were only two outstanding artistes. One was' of course, Richard with his wonderful Austrian accent and the other was the delightful Irish John McCormack. Who needs anybody else? Oh unless you listen to the wonderful stuff that Joseph Locke turned out.
Ronnie Ince
@Franziska Kreß actually Tauber had a reputation as a Mozart tenor and was unchallenged in his lifetime in that respect .Just listen to him sing" Il mio tesoro intanto "
Ronnie Ince
@Rainer Leiss Schipa made an astounding recording of this -.He and Tauber have one thing in common.-you only have to listen to phrase sung by them and you know instantly who is singing -both had very particular voices each in their own way
Franziska Kreß
We need Fritz Wunderlich too. Best Mozarttenor ever.
dickrodstein
Oh well, there goes Jussi Bjoerling.