Tenor; born 16 May 1891 in Linz, died 8 January 1948 in London.
Biography
Richard Tauber was one of the leading tenors of his time. Born a stone's throw away from Linz City Theatre, as a student he studied at Dr. Hochs Conservatory in Frankfurt before working with Karl Beines in 1911. Tauber gave his debut performance in Chemnitz in 1913, and then joined the Dresden opera. From 1915 he sang regularly in Vienna, Berlin and Munich. His interpretations of the tenor roles in Franz Lehár’s operettas made him world famous, and his gramophone recordings sold millions of copies.
In 1933 he moved to Vienna, from where he made regular visits to London. As the son of a Jewish actor he was forced to leave Austria in 1938. He settled in the UK, singing in Covent Garden under Thomas Beecham. He sang and conducted many concerts in Britain during the war, returning to Covent Garden and Vienna Staatsoper for final performances in 1947.
Links and Sources
Richard Tauber Prize on the website of the Anglo Austrian Music Society
Elsewhere in this resource
Interview with Bernard Keeffe
Photo: Richard Tauber, George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library Digital Collections
