Ah! It was my grandfather playing this song that introduced me to the wonderful music of the tenor, and then opera. I understand Richard Tauber is sometimes considered 'too popular' by the hard core tenor buffs - but he (and this wonderful piece of Mozart) will always have a very special place ion my heart
I saw your posting "In defense of the orthophonic" but I don't quite agree. These 78's are such documents that one must do anything to preserve them, and a modern machine damages them less than the time-equipment. If you drive an old collection-car on a modern road, you will less damage her than driving her on an old paved path built at the same time as the car. It is exactly the same. I know that you love old cars; so I am sure you understand my position.
As a 78's collector, I ask you, Merrihew: why do you the most often play your records on that old orthophonic HMV-machine? The sound is better on the modern Numark-machine as you play it here (I have got the same machine), and the record suffers less than with the heavy orthophonic player! I play all my 78's on modern electric machines: Dual, Denon, Numark with special 78-diamonds of course.
I play the newer, better sounding records on the modern equipment - 3.5 mil truncated elliptical stylus (other sizes for certain records). Some records actually sound better on the old equipment which is more interesting visually. See my posting "In defense of an orthophonic". I never play rare or pristine records on the orthophonic.
Lovely. Don Ottavio is not the most cleaver and not the most enthusiastic of Mozart's characters; but he sings two beautifull arias. I rather listen to "Il mio tesoro". It is a pity that on that record one could not have recorded the end clarinet-replica.
Hi saltburner2. I'm trying to ascertain if Tauber did Don Ottavio more than once opposite Bohnen's Giovanni. I know he sang opposite Bohnen's Don at least once, in 1927 in Berlin. But Elisabeth Bergner speaks of having seen T.'s Ottavio opposite Bohnen's Don _after_ the premiere of Lehar's Friederike(sp.?), in 1928. So there must have been a repeat Don with the two of them later on. Please, might you know when/where Bohnen/Tauber did Don Giovanni together post-Friederike(sp.?)? Thank you.
Everyone has the right to their tastes and opinions. But I'm sorry: this is not a good version. The voice is too heavy and inflexible: My favourites: McCormack and Simoneau ( a tie) followed very closely by
Simoneau clearly wins the post War battle using the criteria you note (his version is spectacular) but on what basis does one decide the appropriate approach? The fact that one dislikes something does not necessarily mean that its "bad".
This piece is usually done more lyrically, yes. If kachzvi18 is referring to Ottavio's first phrases here along with the rest, then kachzvi18's may be a valid point, since Ottavio first asks that his friends console his only love, and that could well be sung quite lyrically. But he then sings:
Tell her that I have gone
to avenge her wrongs,
and will return only as the messenger of punishment and death.
Here, I welcome Tauber's unusual vigor and find it fits the heroic change in the music.
That "studied" manner may be the style of the Royal Opera, Dresden, where Tauber had been appearing since 1913. A classical, etched-in-marble quality to the phrasing, also heard in the singing of Margarethe Siems, for example.
I completely agree that this is a marvelous classical performance, with that grandeur and aplomb one expects from the best Dresden stars. Form a man who sang Rhadamès and Manrico, it is also a remarkable feat of flexibility.
I admire MacCormack's vocalising of this but, interpretatively, it is just an amiable jog. Tauber has a brio and bite I have never heard from any other tenor, not even Jadlowker, quite.
Great reproduction.
Tauber's Portrait aria from Magic Flute is also superb.
I'm delighted you mention that portrait aria. He recorded it three times. Each one's very different from the other two, and each one has something very special -- 1922 Acoustic, 1938 Electrical, 1946 Electrical. Do listeners here have any preferences among the three, and why? Am curious. Thanks.
The 1922 is the best, I feel. By 1938, his voice sounds a trifle heavy, which is why he remade it in 1946, I guess. At 55, he sounds remarkably fresh and lyrical and makes a special essay to sound lighter and more "liquid" than he had 8 years before. In this he is helped by different microphone placement.
His "Il mio tesoro" and "Dalla sua pace" strike me as a high watermark in his output, '39 sporting the most forward vocal placement and most liquid line, and before any vocal wear. By '46, the voice is sparer, but the liquid line seems forever. In '38, his voice, as fresh as in '39, moves a trifle heavier. Had he done a '39 "Bildnis", that could have been ideal, but I still view all three portrait arias as the best yet made. (The '22 may seem a bit calculated to me, but vocally astounding.)
Thank you, merrihew! I've always found this record very exciting and one of the most expressive pieces of singing I've ever heard in any of Ottavio's music. Tauber leaves no doubt that Ottavio's ready to be Anna's avenger. That said, while Tauber's generally my favorite singer, I might not apply your characterization as "the most perfect classical vocal record of all time" to this record. Instead, I'd nominate Tauber's "Dalla sua pace" for that, which I'm delighted to see you've also put up.
True. Mozart even discarded it later, his first tenor (later the creator of Tito!) not being present nor equaled at Wien. The "pace" replaced it (but in Act I, unlike "tesoro"). I put Tauber's "pace" at the top only because of his two rivals (not betters!) in "tesoro" (IMO): Schiotz/McCormack. Neither conveys this piece's emotional core like Tauber. So they're not perfect either. But arguably their breathing and flexibility may exceed Tauber's. Now, Tauber's "pace" strikes me as unique.
@merrihew As I said, I might take Tauber's '39 "Dalla sua pace" over his '39 "Il mio tesoro" because no other "pace" seems so unfailingly musical & expressive; whereas Schiotz/McCormack do excel, each in their way, in "tesoro". But I just heard an unpublished '26 Tauber "tesoro" that matches Schiotz/McCormack in flexibility and precision and still has the emotional conviction of Tauber's '39 "tesoro"! That's now my favorite "tesoro", bar none! It's at /watch?v=iNvs-dm5A28.
Compared to McCormack this rendition by Tauber is second best i have to say...he is "shouting",whereas McCormack is so fluid and effortless.....definately masterful is McCormack....
I did and really enjoyed it. Do you know if Tauber performed "White Horse Inn" in England, as I recall my parents fondly speaking of this production and also his rendition of Lehar's Madchen Mein Madchen. Thx again....
No, Tauber did not appear in White Horse Inn: but it was he who suggested to Clifford Mollison, who sang the tenor lead in the first London production, that Adieu, mein kleiner Gardeoffizir, which Stolz had written for another operetta, Madame sucht Anschluss, and which was also used in the film Das Lied ist aus, would fit very nicely into Ralph Benatzki's "Im weissen Rossl" [the original of "White Horse Inn"]. So Tauber was really responsible for the interpolation of this song into the show!
Simply the best of the best - most Tauber I have heard is bad audio or old records. I heard he was good but THIS explains why he was so loved and revered. He is my favorite over Schmidt, Wunderlich and McCormack, but to each his own. Thanks so much!
The company that Tauber recorded for was not known for the best sound. Also, many reissues over the years used worn copies of the originals. Check out my lieder posting of Tauber. The sound is quite good.
Tauber's Odeons from 1928/9 are in very good sound. But around 1931 many Berlin recordings are affected by quite severe mains hum which it is difficult to remove, even now.
From October 1933, most of his records were made at Abbey Road studios, using the same Blumlein technology as HMV and Columbia, which with Parlophone [previously the British affiliate of Odeon] formed part of the new EMI company.
Love your videos. McCormack, Burrows, Aksel Schiotz (posted by Severolus) and Alva, tho Alva's on YT is live & has a few flaws, it is very enjoyable to watch as well as hear, imo.(Just suggestions.)
Wonderful recording. Thank you so much. Tauber was a superb musician, and in fact worked as much as a conductor as a singer toward the end of his life, in England. He was a good pianist too. Spectacular artist, what an unspeakable crime it was that he should have to suffer as he did. Technically, he wasn't even a Jew: He was raised catholic by a catholic mother who simply had a fleeting affair with a Jewish entertainer, himself a convert. So insane,the whole stupid business back then.
I have never heard a better version than this, thank you for recording it for my enjoyment Merrihew.I'm sure even Mozart would have also appreciated the irony of a German speaker living in England having to learn it in Italian!
LesVoixduRhythme- You must certainly be joking.The American library of Congress deemed McCormacks il Mio Tesoro as the greatest musical recording of the 20Th century. I love Tauber,but your statement on McCormack is inaccurate-at best.How about Gedda,Kraus,Wunderlich? Music is subjective,but your statement is offensive!
McCormack wins over Tauber by a trill.Were you aware that Tauber was instamental in launching the career of the great Joseph Schmidt?He did so at the risk of his life and limbs,and got out of Germany due to having a Jewish father.Schmidt did not fare so well,dying of disease in a Swiss refugee camp.He led truly a tortured life.He was referred to as the Jewish Caruso.
Oh thank you so much for this. I too only have it on disc and have no turntable! Very frustrating. This very difficult aria is sublime when sung by Tauber and personally I think he is incomparable.
Tauber excelled in Mozart, beginning his career as Tamino in 1913 and ending it as Ottavio in 1947. His 1939 recording of Ottavio's arias in Italian was made to coincide with his appearance in the role at Covent Garden under Beecham, at whose requst he learnt the role in Italian, having previously only ever sung it in German, as he did again in 1947.
Leopold Simoneau from the 1950's is worth seeking out (He died recently at age 90). I believe that his, Tauber's and McCormack's are the greatest with Wunderlich close behind. Anyone have any other suggestions?
I just listened to the Jadlowker version along with many of his other records. He has a great voice for Mozart and great technique but he sounds sharp to me sometimes. Am I wrong or is it maybe waivering speed? Anyway, I will post some of his records.
It's hard to say, and probably depends on the individual copy. Jadlowker is not generally known as having intonational problems.
He was a fabulous singer. His records from Huguenots, the Romance, with an incredible trill, the Bathing Duet (two parts) with Frieda Hempel: golden age all the way. Not to mention the coloratura in Idomeneo, Barbiere!
For some reason I just love that song. The Thill is posted in YouTube, along with Björling and the several Kiepura versions. (I don't care for Kiepura.)
I would love to hear Tauber (or Wittrisch) do it!
It is fantastic! I was hoping Tino Rossi recorded it too but I have a 13 LP set of all of his records from 1932-1937 and its not there. I'll check on Wittrisch.
A great rendition of this exacting aria. I prefer Tauber's recording, and voice, to McCormack's,, but can enjoy both. Just a matter of individual taste Thanks for posting this.
I once had the chance to buy this 78 cheaply and missed it. Still regret it.
VinylToVideo 1 year ago
Ah! It was my grandfather playing this song that introduced me to the wonderful music of the tenor, and then opera. I understand Richard Tauber is sometimes considered 'too popular' by the hard core tenor buffs - but he (and this wonderful piece of Mozart) will always have a very special place ion my heart
sylvieshere 1 year ago
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I saw your posting "In defense of the orthophonic" but I don't quite agree. These 78's are such documents that one must do anything to preserve them, and a modern machine damages them less than the time-equipment. If you drive an old collection-car on a modern road, you will less damage her than driving her on an old paved path built at the same time as the car. It is exactly the same. I know that you love old cars; so I am sure you understand my position.
78Maniac 1 year ago 2
Bjorling e Wunderlich i due migliori Ottavio della Storia, no contest. Adoro Tauber, ma la pronuncia italiana è ridicola...
federricoilgrande 1 year ago
this is a great performance!
operalament 2 years ago
As a 78's collector, I ask you, Merrihew: why do you the most often play your records on that old orthophonic HMV-machine? The sound is better on the modern Numark-machine as you play it here (I have got the same machine), and the record suffers less than with the heavy orthophonic player! I play all my 78's on modern electric machines: Dual, Denon, Numark with special 78-diamonds of course.
78Maniac 2 years ago
I play the newer, better sounding records on the modern equipment - 3.5 mil truncated elliptical stylus (other sizes for certain records). Some records actually sound better on the old equipment which is more interesting visually. See my posting "In defense of an orthophonic". I never play rare or pristine records on the orthophonic.
merrihew 2 years ago
Comment removed
78Maniac 2 years ago
Lovely. Don Ottavio is not the most cleaver and not the most enthusiastic of Mozart's characters; but he sings two beautifull arias. I rather listen to "Il mio tesoro". It is a pity that on that record one could not have recorded the end clarinet-replica.
78Maniac 2 years ago
Don Ottavio was the operatic role that Tauber sang for the longest period: over 33 years, in fact!
In Dresden in 1914, '16, '19, '24 & '26.
At Salzburg under Richard Strauss in '22; In Berlin in '23, '24, '26;
In Vienna in '24, '25, '32, '33, '35, '36,
In Stockholm in '25
at Covent Garden in '39 & '47.
And this is far from a complete list!
saltburner2 2 years ago
Comment removed
grig035 2 years ago
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Hi saltburner2. I'm trying to ascertain if Tauber did Don Ottavio more than once opposite Bohnen's Giovanni. I know he sang opposite Bohnen's Don at least once, in 1927 in Berlin. But Elisabeth Bergner speaks of having seen T.'s Ottavio opposite Bohnen's Don _after_ the premiere of Lehar's Friederike(sp.?), in 1928. So there must have been a repeat Don with the two of them later on. Please, might you know when/where Bohnen/Tauber did Don Giovanni together post-Friederike(sp.?)? Thank you.
grig035 2 years ago 2
Everyone has the right to their tastes and opinions. But I'm sorry: this is not a good version. The voice is too heavy and inflexible: My favourites: McCormack and Simoneau ( a tie) followed very closely by
Wunderlich
toberhouse 3 years ago
Simoneau clearly wins the post War battle using the criteria you note (his version is spectacular) but on what basis does one decide the appropriate approach? The fact that one dislikes something does not necessarily mean that its "bad".
merrihew 3 years ago
Excellent, but expected a touch more lyricism from such a great tenor. Nice Magnepans, would like to hear this voice on a pair of SPENDORS~!
kachzvi18 3 years ago
This piece is usually done more lyrically, yes. If kachzvi18 is referring to Ottavio's first phrases here along with the rest, then kachzvi18's may be a valid point, since Ottavio first asks that his friends console his only love, and that could well be sung quite lyrically. But he then sings:
Tell her that I have gone
to avenge her wrongs,
and will return only as the messenger of punishment and death.
Here, I welcome Tauber's unusual vigor and find it fits the heroic change in the music.
grig035 3 years ago 4
That "studied" manner may be the style of the Royal Opera, Dresden, where Tauber had been appearing since 1913. A classical, etched-in-marble quality to the phrasing, also heard in the singing of Margarethe Siems, for example.
AulicExclusiva 3 years ago
I completely agree that this is a marvelous classical performance, with that grandeur and aplomb one expects from the best Dresden stars. Form a man who sang Rhadamès and Manrico, it is also a remarkable feat of flexibility.
I admire MacCormack's vocalising of this but, interpretatively, it is just an amiable jog. Tauber has a brio and bite I have never heard from any other tenor, not even Jadlowker, quite.
Great reproduction.
Tauber's Portrait aria from Magic Flute is also superb.
AulicExclusiva 3 years ago
I'm delighted you mention that portrait aria. He recorded it three times. Each one's very different from the other two, and each one has something very special -- 1922 Acoustic, 1938 Electrical, 1946 Electrical. Do listeners here have any preferences among the three, and why? Am curious. Thanks.
grig035 3 years ago
The 1922 is the best, I feel. By 1938, his voice sounds a trifle heavy, which is why he remade it in 1946, I guess. At 55, he sounds remarkably fresh and lyrical and makes a special essay to sound lighter and more "liquid" than he had 8 years before. In this he is helped by different microphone placement.
AulicExclusiva 3 years ago
His "Il mio tesoro" and "Dalla sua pace" strike me as a high watermark in his output, '39 sporting the most forward vocal placement and most liquid line, and before any vocal wear. By '46, the voice is sparer, but the liquid line seems forever. In '38, his voice, as fresh as in '39, moves a trifle heavier. Had he done a '39 "Bildnis", that could have been ideal, but I still view all three portrait arias as the best yet made. (The '22 may seem a bit calculated to me, but vocally astounding.)
grig035 3 years ago
Thank you, merrihew! I've always found this record very exciting and one of the most expressive pieces of singing I've ever heard in any of Ottavio's music. Tauber leaves no doubt that Ottavio's ready to be Anna's avenger. That said, while Tauber's generally my favorite singer, I might not apply your characterization as "the most perfect classical vocal record of all time" to this record. Instead, I'd nominate Tauber's "Dalla sua pace" for that, which I'm delighted to see you've also put up.
grig035 3 years ago
I only said that because the other is a bit more demanding technically.
merrihew 3 years ago
True. Mozart even discarded it later, his first tenor (later the creator of Tito!) not being present nor equaled at Wien. The "pace" replaced it (but in Act I, unlike "tesoro"). I put Tauber's "pace" at the top only because of his two rivals (not betters!) in "tesoro" (IMO): Schiotz/McCormack. Neither conveys this piece's emotional core like Tauber. So they're not perfect either. But arguably their breathing and flexibility may exceed Tauber's. Now, Tauber's "pace" strikes me as unique.
grig035 3 years ago
@merrihew As I said, I might take Tauber's '39 "Dalla sua pace" over his '39 "Il mio tesoro" because no other "pace" seems so unfailingly musical & expressive; whereas Schiotz/McCormack do excel, each in their way, in "tesoro". But I just heard an unpublished '26 Tauber "tesoro" that matches Schiotz/McCormack in flexibility and precision and still has the emotional conviction of Tauber's '39 "tesoro"! That's now my favorite "tesoro", bar none! It's at /watch?v=iNvs-dm5A28.
grig035 1 year ago
@grig035 What a wonderful discovery. It has a few faults but the voice is quite a bit fresher. Thanks for pointing it out.
merrihew 1 year ago
Fine, warm lyrical voice. Breath control and phrasing are superb. Such a gifted and well loved man.
hildibildibaldi 3 years ago
Compared to McCormack this rendition by Tauber is second best i have to say...he is "shouting",whereas McCormack is so fluid and effortless.....definately masterful is McCormack....
speranza68 3 years ago
I did and really enjoyed it. Do you know if Tauber performed "White Horse Inn" in England, as I recall my parents fondly speaking of this production and also his rendition of Lehar's Madchen Mein Madchen. Thx again....
Manxypop 3 years ago
No, Tauber did not appear in White Horse Inn: but it was he who suggested to Clifford Mollison, who sang the tenor lead in the first London production, that Adieu, mein kleiner Gardeoffizir, which Stolz had written for another operetta, Madame sucht Anschluss, and which was also used in the film Das Lied ist aus, would fit very nicely into Ralph Benatzki's "Im weissen Rossl" [the original of "White Horse Inn"]. So Tauber was really responsible for the interpolation of this song into the show!
saltburner2 3 years ago
Simply the best of the best - most Tauber I have heard is bad audio or old records. I heard he was good but THIS explains why he was so loved and revered. He is my favorite over Schmidt, Wunderlich and McCormack, but to each his own. Thanks so much!
Manxypop 3 years ago 2
The company that Tauber recorded for was not known for the best sound. Also, many reissues over the years used worn copies of the originals. Check out my lieder posting of Tauber. The sound is quite good.
merrihew 3 years ago
Tauber's Odeons from 1928/9 are in very good sound. But around 1931 many Berlin recordings are affected by quite severe mains hum which it is difficult to remove, even now.
From October 1933, most of his records were made at Abbey Road studios, using the same Blumlein technology as HMV and Columbia, which with Parlophone [previously the British affiliate of Odeon] formed part of the new EMI company.
saltburner2 2 years ago
Dalla Sua Pace? - yes please?
thank you - best regards
wcampbelljnr 2 years ago
Tauber is wonderful, but I still prefer Schmidt and Wunderlich.
wildwillymd 3 years ago
Yes, they are great too. So is Simoneau.
merrihew 3 years ago
Love your videos. McCormack, Burrows, Aksel Schiotz (posted by Severolus) and Alva, tho Alva's on YT is live & has a few flaws, it is very enjoyable to watch as well as hear, imo.(Just suggestions.)
wollestoncraft 3 years ago
Wonderful recording. Thank you so much. Tauber was a superb musician, and in fact worked as much as a conductor as a singer toward the end of his life, in England. He was a good pianist too. Spectacular artist, what an unspeakable crime it was that he should have to suffer as he did. Technically, he wasn't even a Jew: He was raised catholic by a catholic mother who simply had a fleeting affair with a Jewish entertainer, himself a convert. So insane,the whole stupid business back then.
stefakamelpash 3 years ago 4
Tauber was always great , very little to choose between McCormick and Tauber, both fantastic.
Dhbrydon 4 years ago 2
I have never heard a better version than this, thank you for recording it for my enjoyment Merrihew.I'm sure even Mozart would have also appreciated the irony of a German speaker living in England having to learn it in Italian!
imachunt 4 years ago
Yes, McCormack does win by a trill. I was not aware of the Tauber Schmidt connection. There's quite a bit of Schmidt on Youtube.
merrihew 4 years ago
No way at all: Tauber is better than McCormack.
His singing is far more fine, full and stronger... Gush ! I like that singer; compared with Tauber, McCormack is just a choir-singer...
LesVoixduRhythme 3 years ago
LesVoixduRhythme- You must certainly be joking.The American library of Congress deemed McCormacks il Mio Tesoro as the greatest musical recording of the 20Th century. I love Tauber,but your statement on McCormack is inaccurate-at best.How about Gedda,Kraus,Wunderlich? Music is subjective,but your statement is offensive!
paulostroff99 3 years ago
McCormack wins over Tauber by a trill.Were you aware that Tauber was instamental in launching the career of the great Joseph Schmidt?He did so at the risk of his life and limbs,and got out of Germany due to having a Jewish father.Schmidt did not fare so well,dying of disease in a Swiss refugee camp.He led truly a tortured life.He was referred to as the Jewish Caruso.
paulostroff99 4 years ago
Oh thank you so much for this. I too only have it on disc and have no turntable! Very frustrating. This very difficult aria is sublime when sung by Tauber and personally I think he is incomparable.
spursliz 4 years ago
Tauber excelled in Mozart, beginning his career as Tamino in 1913 and ending it as Ottavio in 1947. His 1939 recording of Ottavio's arias in Italian was made to coincide with his appearance in the role at Covent Garden under Beecham, at whose requst he learnt the role in Italian, having previously only ever sung it in German, as he did again in 1947.
saltburner 4 years ago
Leopold Simoneau from the 1950's is worth seeking out (He died recently at age 90). I believe that his, Tauber's and McCormack's are the greatest with Wunderlich close behind. Anyone have any other suggestions?
merrihew 4 years ago
Richard Crooks's recording of this aria also is well worth hearing, as is that of Stuart Burrows.
rupepill 4 years ago
Hermann Jadlowker, Cesare Valletti.
AulicExclusiva 3 years ago
I just listened to the Jadlowker version along with many of his other records. He has a great voice for Mozart and great technique but he sounds sharp to me sometimes. Am I wrong or is it maybe waivering speed? Anyway, I will post some of his records.
merrihew 3 years ago
It's hard to say, and probably depends on the individual copy. Jadlowker is not generally known as having intonational problems.
He was a fabulous singer. His records from Huguenots, the Romance, with an incredible trill, the Bathing Duet (two parts) with Frieda Hempel: golden age all the way. Not to mention the coloratura in Idomeneo, Barbiere!
AulicExclusiva 3 years ago
By the way, just as an aside, did Tauber record the Kaper/Jurman song "Ninon"?
AulicExclusiva 3 years ago
It doesn't show up in the James Dennis discography in a 1969 issue of The Record Collector.
merrihew 3 years ago
I guess by the time it became a hit (1933) he was through recording pop songs in German.
Georges Thill's recording, ("Ninon, quand tu me souris") is charming.
AulicExclusiva 3 years ago
Yes, he switched labels in 1934 after being assaulted by the Nazis and leaving Germany.
I have the Thill recording on a French EMI LP reissue. I'll check it out.
merrihew 3 years ago
For some reason I just love that song. The Thill is posted in YouTube, along with Björling and the several Kiepura versions. (I don't care for Kiepura.)
I would love to hear Tauber (or Wittrisch) do it!
AulicExclusiva 3 years ago
It is fantastic! I was hoping Tino Rossi recorded it too but I have a 13 LP set of all of his records from 1932-1937 and its not there. I'll check on Wittrisch.
merrihew 3 years ago
A great rendition of this exacting aria. I prefer Tauber's recording, and voice, to McCormack's,, but can enjoy both. Just a matter of individual taste Thanks for posting this.
Ivanhoe2 4 years ago
Wonderfull. Like the new new record deck. Nice sound. But can we see more of the record itself spinning? Love to watch that.
mrrk 4 years ago
You're right, this is outstanding!
kspm01 4 years ago