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Richard TAUBER Favourites Vol. 1.
1. DEIN IST MEIN GANZES HERZ (Lehár-Herzer-Lohner, from Das Land des Lachelns) Berlin State Opera House Orchestra conducted by Franz Lehár
Recorded 3rd October, 1929, in Berlin.
2. IM PRATER BLUHN WIEDER DIE BAUME (Stolz)
Orchestra conducted by Ernst Hauke
Recorded 28th January, 1928, in Berlin.
3. SERENADE FROM FRASQUITA (FAREWELL MY LOVE, FAREWELL)
(Lehár-Arkell) With Orchestra. Sung in English
Recorded 1939 in London.
4. LIED UND CZARDAS From MARISKA (Lehár)
Orchester des Demschen Kunstlertheaters, Berlin, conducted by Ernst Hauke
Recorded 26th February, 1927, Berlin.
5. IM CHAMBRE SEPAREE (Heuberger, from The Opera Ball)
Odeon Kunstlerorchester conducted by Frieder Weissmann
Recorded 17th March, 1931, in Berlin.
6. LIPPEN SCHWEIGEN (Waltz) (Lehár-Leon-Stein, from Die Lustige Witwe)
Orchestra conducted by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Recorded 5th January, 1932, in Berlin.
7. VILJALIED (Lehár-Leon-Stein, from Die Lustige Witwe)
Orchestra conducted by Ernst Hauke
Recorded 26th January, 1932, in Berlin.
8. SERENADE From THE STUDENT PRINCE (Romberg-Donnelly)
Orchestra conducted by George Walter (Walter Goehr). Sung in English
Recorded 1936 in London.
9. WENN DER WEISSE FLIEDER WIEDER BLUHT (Doelle)
With Orchestra Recorded 15th December, 1928, in Berlin.
10. DAS LIED DER LIEBE (TALES FROM THE VIENNA WOODS)
(Strauss-Korngold) Orchestra conducted by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Recorded 5th January, 1932, in Berlin.
11. DAS ALTE LIED (Whispering Record) (Love-Beda)
Accompanying himself at the piano
Recorded 5th October, 1928, in Berlin.
12. LA DANZA (Rossini-Baumgartner-Adier, as sung in the opera Rossini of Naples)
Vienna State Opera Orchestra conducted by Josef Krips
Recorded 1934 in Vienna.
13. GIRLS WERE MADE TO LOVE AND KISS (Lehár-Herbert, from Paganini) Lyceum Theatre Orchestra conducted by Frank Collinson. Sung in English
Recorded 1937 in London.
14. WIEN, DU STADT MEINER TRAUME (VIENNA, CITY OF MY DREAMS) (Sieczynski) Orchestra conducted by Ernst Hauke
Recorded 31st January, 1928, in Berlin.
15. WAS WEISST DENN DU, WIE ICH VERLIEBT BIN (Whispering Record)
(Jurman-Robber) Accompanying himself at the piano
Recorded 25th October, 1928, in Berlin.
16. LA SERENATA (Tosti)
Orchestra conducted by Ernst Hauke
Recorded 27th January, 1928, in Berlin.
17. IMMER NUR LACHELN (Lehár-Herzer-Lohner, from Das Land des Lachelns)
Berlin State Opera House Orchestra conducted by Franz Lehár
Recorded 4th October, 1929, in Berlin.
18. YOU ARE MY HEART'S DELIGHT (Lehár-Graham, from The Land of Smiles)
With Orchestra. Sung in English
Recorded 1935 in London.
Naxos Nostalgia 8. 120513 [60.12]
Crotchet

Richard Tauber was a renown as a Mozart tenor, film star, pianist, conductor but most of all as a star of operetta. To most of his fans, not only in Germany and Austria but also in Britain and America, he was operetta personified - and especially he was famed for his association with the operettas of Franz Lehár. There were other excellent German tenors who were very successful in Lehár's operettas notably Joseph Schmitdt and Peter Anders, but it was Tauber who was famous internationally. In the 1920s and 1930s the sale of his records was phenomenal and there would be few collections which did not include at least one Tauber record (usually "You are my heart's delight").

To me this CD is nostalgia personified. As soon as I played the first number (the German version of the above-mentioned song) I was transported back in time to my father' collection of 78s in which Tauber recordings, as 10inch Odeon and Parlophone records with their brown labels, had pride of place. Tauber made a very large number of recordings which embraced most types of songs including opera, operetta, lieder and popular ballads - and all exhibiting a high degree of musicality even though his vocal range was not high. His recordings are nostalgic but not sentimental.

The present CD concentrates on the mainstream of his popular repertoire, with the main concept rightly being the operettas of Lehár. Besides such favourites as the aforementioned "You are my heart's delight" and "Girls were made to love and kiss", the "Lied und Czardas" from Mariska are especially atmospheric.

Another favourite is the "Tales from the Vienna Woods" arranged and conducted here by Korngold; Rossini's "La Danza" is also well done. Tracks 11 and 15 are relatively unusual "whispering records" where Tauber accompanies himself on the piano.

The transfers throughout (by Davad Lennick) are excellent and this must be one of the best Tauber CDs available. The disc is attractively presented and has useful notes by Peter Dempsey. It is however already a well-filled market as there are already many Tauber transfers, some available so cheap that even Naxos prices are seriously undercut. However this disk is excellent in all respects and is recommended.

Reviewer

Arthur Baker